Paysage d’Hiver – Marcellin Dufour

DUFOUR, Marcellin (1946-) 
Paysage d’Hiver Oil on masonite
Signed on the lower right: Marcellin

41x51cm – 16×20″

Marcellin Dufour is a self-taught artist born on April 3, 1946, in Port-Alfred, Quebec.

Hugh John Barrett, Dufour’s art teacher, noticed his talent and encouraged him to paint.

Following time at the École des beaux-arts de Québec Dufour moved to Montreal, working at a printing shop, enrolling in a graphic arts studio learning the techniques of lettering and signage.

Dufour exhibited in tandem with his brother Lucien at Collège Notre-Dame but eventually continued to work in lettering and became a visual arts teacher in Roberval, where he also gave private lessons.

The 1970s were punctuated by exhibitions, between Montreal and Quebec City, which established his reputation. Dufour’s landscapes, painted in the Dufour style, attracted the attention of collectors. He therefore took a leave of absence from teaching in 1974 and decided to perfect his art skills at the Université du Québec in Chicoutimi. From 1975 onward, he devoted himself entirely to his art.

In 1976,  Dufour illustrated the book Adagio by Félix Leclerc and gave private art lessons in Chicoutimi.

Dufour has oscillated between figurative and abstract techniques infusing travel to Venezuela and a period in Florida where the force of the sea influenced his creativity These elements are evident in his illustration for the Earth Day poster. 

Ensconced in Sainte-Adèle Dufour continued to exhibit.  He was a guest of honor at Art ’95, exhibiting in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. That same year, Guy Robert published a book about his life and work. In 1998, the artist participated in various events, including Abstraction Laurentides, an event on contemporary art in Quebec, 50 years after the Refus Global manifesto. Dufour has also contributed to the textbooks ‘Anthology of Quebec Literature’ and ‘Ethics and Religious Culture’.

A consummate professional artist and instructor, Marcellin has been creating and exhibiting for over 40 years. His much sought after works are included in corporate and private collections and institutions throughout North America and Europe.