Jean Dallaire (Jean-Philippe Dallaire)

1916-1965

Born in Hull, Quebec, he studied art under François Clapin at Hull Technical School (1932-1934); studied drawing and painting with Charles Goldhammer, Peter Haworth, Robert Ross and Elizabeth Wyn Wood at the Central Technical School, Toronto (1935). In those years, he also spent time painting in Hull with Henri Fabien and Henri Masson. He went to Boston and studied old masters at the Boston Museum and the Rhode Island Free Student School (1936).

Back in Canada, he continued his studies with Charles Maillard and Félix Charpentier at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal (1938). In 1938, he was awarded a Province of Quebec prize for painting and received a scholarship from the Government to study in Paris at Académie André Lhote (1938-1939) and the Atelier d’Art Sacré. He also worked in his studio at Montmartre. In Paris, he discovered the work of the Surrealists and of fellow Canadian artist Alfred Pellan.

When the Nazi Army entered Paris in 1940, Dallaire was placed in an internment camp for four years with 160 other Canadian citizens among which was fellow Canadian artist Paul-Vanier Beaulieu. He continued to paint during his confinement.

Following the war he returned to Quebec City where he taught at the École des Beaux-Arts (1945-1952). He was employed as a draughtsman and worked on film strips for the National Film Board of Canada in Ottawa (1952-1956) and in Montreal (1956-1958). Away from his NFB work he had a studio in Ottawa where he created large canvases.

Dallaire’s solo shows include: Paris (1945); Cercle Universitaire de Montréal (1954); Dominion Gallery, Montreal (1955); Robertson Galleries, Ottawa (1955); a retrospective at the Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal (1968 and 1979); Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (1999); Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1958 and 2000). He lived in Vence, France from 1959 until his death at the young age of 49.

Collections:

- Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (Quebec, QC)
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Montreal, QC)
- Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal (Montreal, QC)
- National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
- Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, ON)
- McCord Museum (Montreal, QC)
- Laval University (Quebec, QC)
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke, QC)
- Bezalel Museum (Jerusalem, Israel)
- Power Corporation of Canada (Montreal, QC)
- Firestone Art Collection (Ottawa, ON)




Affiliation:

- Quebec Modern Group