Untitled Composition

oil on paper laid on canvas
Jean-Paul Riopelle is probably Canada's most accomplished artist in terms of international recognition and financial success. Born in Montreal, he received formal art instruction throughout his adolescence, much of it traditional and focused on copying the works of old masters. Riopelle moved on to the Ecole Polytechnique (where he studied architecture, engineering and photography) and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Montreal. Then, seeking a less academic and constraining environment , he transferred to the more forward-thinking Ecole de Meuble, where he studied under Paul-Emile Borduas. It was with the encouragement of Borduas that he produced his first non-representational painting. He then joined Borduas and the Automatistes and signed the Refus manifesto.