Bonne entente

Provenance:
Private Collection, Toronto
Notes:
In this 1959 canvas, Fernand Leduc intricately organizes angular shapes all over the surface of the canvas, like a jigsaw falling into place. Rigorously constructed yet fluid, this composition brings together solid planes of bold colour - bright blue, emerald, kelly green, orange and ruby - that vibrate. Since 1954, Leduc had focused his practice on a geometrical abstraction that allowed him to explore the relationships and energies between form and colour. Bonne entente is a fine example of this endeavour. The eye moves from one shape to another, following their arrow-like points in a counter-clockwise motion. Leduc was one of the signatories of the 1948 Refus global manifesto, a historical document that signaled an important cultural shift in Quebec. He was the president and a founding member of the Association des artistes non-figuratifs de Montréal. His works have been included in solo and group shows in institutions such as the Musée du Québec in Quebec City, the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris, and the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal.