Rodolphe (Jauran) de Repentigny

Heffel Auction House Biography and Notes

This compelling geometric abstraction, a rare work by Rodolphe de Repentigny, who painted under the pseudonym Jauran, comes from the artist’s estate. The overlapping assemblage of oblong shapes and polygons at the forefront is laid upon a mosaic of cool greys, lavenders, olive and taupe, creating tension in this dynamic yet solemn composition. This 1954 oil on canvas hints at the premises of the Plasticien manifesto that Jauran would sign a year later with artists Louis Belzile, Jean-Paul Jérôme and Fernand Toupin. The Plasticiens aimed towards a greater purification of the plastic elements of painting: colour, texture, form and line. Jauran was essentially an autodidact, and his artistic practice was heavily influenced by the late Cubist work of Georges Braque. As well as being at the helm of the Plasticien movement, Jauran was also a respected art critic and wrote in La Presse, L’Autorité and the first editions of Vie des Arts. Although he produced few works, as he died in 1959 at the age of 33 in a mountain climbing accident, his oeuvre had a great impact, which reverberates to this day.