Jean McEwen (Jean Albert McEwen )

Notes:

signed lower right; signed, titled & dated verso; additionally dated “06.02.62” verso
Provenance: Gallery Moos, Toronto ON (label verso)

Notes:

signed, titled & dated verso
Provenance: Mira Goddard Gallery, Toronto, ON (label verso)
McEwen began painting in 1946 while he was a pharmacy student at the University of Montreal, though he was already profoundly interested in poetry and art and actively painting by this point in his life. His early Salon and gallery submissions were well-received by the artistic community, and he struck up a friendship with Paul-Emile Borduas, who encouraged McEwen in his artistic journey, suggesting he visit Jean Paul Riopelle in Paris. McEwen spent three years in France and Spain, touring museums, painting and exhibiting. He was influenced by the Automatistes in their spontaneity, by the French schools of Impressionism and Lyrical Abstraction, and by the non-figural abstraction that characterized the work of the American artists of that era.

McEwen’s work remained distinct – his compositions were experiments exploring colour, light and texture. His works from the 1960s show the artist’s work at its maturity, skillfully layering opaque and translucent paint in a sensuous and poetic manner. Of his work, McEwan has said:
“There are two ways to judge a painting…One is based on criteria and theories of art. The second is based on sensations we get from the picture. I paint the second way.”

In 1987, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts presented a major retrospective of his work. Major exhibitions have also been held by the National Gallery of Canada and the Musee d’art Contemporain de Montreal.

Notes:

signed & dated lower left; titled verso

Provenance: Marlborough Godard, Toronto ON/Montreal QC; Paul Kuhn Fine Arts, Calgary AB

Exhibited: “Jean McEwen”, Saskatoon Gallery & Conservatory Corporation, Saskatoon SK, August 29 -September 23, 1979 (No. L79-223-10)

Jean McEwen was born in Montreal to a Scottish father and French Canadian mother. He was essentially self-taught, driven by a strong interest in art and poetry. While completing his Pharmacy Degree at the University of Montreal, he simultaneously painted and became a published poet. In 1949, his submission to the 66th annual Spring Salon at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts was well-received. At this time, McEwen struck up what would become an enduring friendship with Paul-Emile Borduas. His contact with Borduas, and visits to his home, led McEwen on a path towards artistic experimentation. In 1951 McEwen held his first one-man show at Galerie Agnes Lefort. He was subsequently encouraged to travel to Paris, where Borduas put him in touch with Jean-Paul Riopelle. McEwen spent the following two years years in France and Spain, touring museums, painting, exhibiting, and making connections within the artistic community. The Paris years were impactful, and by the time the artist returned to Montreal in 1953, his work had been transformed.

McEwen drew influence from the spontaneity of the Automatistes, from the French schools of Impressionism and Lyrical Abstraction, and from the non-figural abstraction that characterized the work of the American Expressionists of the time. McEwen’s work, however, remained distinct from any of these schools. His was a more deliberate exploration of colour, light and gesture, skillfully layering opaque and translucent paint into sensuous constructions.

McEwen was able to dedicate himself entirely to painting in 1973, when he finally retired from the pharmaceutical industry. In 1977, he received the Victor Lynch-Staunton award (for distinguished artistic contribution in Canada). This enabled him to work in Paris once again, from September 1977 to June 1978. It was during this second sojourn in Paris that this work, from the Suite Parisienne, was painted. The Suite was exhibited at the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris during the summer of 1978, then again upon McEwen’s return to Canada, at the Mira Godard Gallery, in March of 1979.

Jean McEwen exhibited extensively, both in Canada and internationally, during his career; his work is represented in numerous public collections. A major retrospective of Jean McEwen’s art was held in 1987 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Notes:

signed & dated lower right and verso

Provenance: Wallack Galleries, Ottawa ON (label remnants verso)

Jean McEwen was born in Montreal to a Scottish father and French Canadian mother. A true renaissance man, he completed a Pharmacy degree at the University of Montreal, while also pursuing his interest in painting and poetry (his poetry was published and his first submission to the Spring Salon of the Montreal Museum of Arts was accepted and well-received). McEwen soon developed a friendship with Paul-Emile Borduas, who inspired his early experimentation. In 1951, McEwen held his first one-man show at Galerie Agnes Lefort, to favorable reviews. Shortly afterward, having made the decision to pursue a career as an artist, he left for Paris.

The following two years (1951-1953), were immersive ones. During this time, McEwen’s associates included American artist Sam Francis, French painter Georges Mathieu and fellow Quebecer Jean-Paul Riopelle (a connection facilitated by Borduas). McEwen exhibited with Riopelle and Francis at Galerie du Dragon, painted in Brittany, and travelled to Italy, Holland and Spain to view the works of the Masters.

Upon his return to Montreal, McEwen began to define himself as an artist, progressively distinguishing his work from that of earlier influences. In 1956, he became a member of the newly-founded Association des Artistes Non Figuratifs de Montréal, becoming president of the association in 1960. McEwen was maturing as an artist and now exhibiting more broadly. Solo shows at Gallery Moos (Toronto) in 1961 and 1962, provided the impetus for a New York solo show the following year at the Martha Jackson Gallery, then for several other International exhibitions. In 1966, McEwen’s work was featured in a joint touring exhibition (with Harold Town) of the National Gallery of Canada, and he was also included in the National Gallery’s Canadian Centennial show the following year.

The 1960s were a pivotal time in McEwen’s career. This piece, created in 1962, exemplifies his work from this time period. It features a strong vertical column, which anchors the composition and creates structure. His use of colour contrast – the yellow symmetrical plains, against the strong focal red, and burnt umber – adds drama and depth to the composition, while illuminating a dappled effect, and accentuating the texture of the pigment layers.

Jean McEwen is one of Canada’s most influential abstract painters, with a career spanning over 50 years. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts presented major retrospectives of McEwen’s work in 1973 and 1987. His work can be found in numerous public collections including the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), the Museum of Modern Art (New York) and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Notes:

signed, titled & dated verso
Provenance: Gallery Moos, Toronto ON (label verso)