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Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
A mandatory field trip turned out to be an eye-opening experience.
by Angela Keddy
Pictures courtesy of the Quebec Museum of Fine Art and Ciel Variable
On September 18, 2004, my professor, classmates, and I took off for Québec City. Aside from the ambiance of the city, the Québec Fine Arts Museum was by far the highlight.
A part of the Québec city prison since 1933, it’s now a museum holding 24,000 pieces of fine art. The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec is the largest collection of Québec art in the world—featuring paintings, sculptures, photographs, and many other works of art, growing in thanks to generous donations from patrons and the artists themselves. The works are separated into five historic periods: early art (pre 1850), early art (1859-1900), modern art (1900-1950), contemporary art (1950-2000), and current art (post 2000).
These artistic divisions were established when the museum was restored in 1991. With its impressive architecture, the museum reveals carved ceilings, columns, and noble and elegant forms. A short walk from the Parliament Building in Québec, the museum sits in the middle of Battlefields Park— what Gettysburg is to Americans, the Battlefields Park is to the Québecois. The museum consists of three buildings: the Charles-Baillairgé Pavilion, the Grand Hall, and the Gérard-Morisset Pavilion, where we spent most of our time.
“This museum, which is not far from Plattsburgh, held some fascinating work done by people that don't live an ocean away. Visiting a museum like this can open our eyes to another culture that is not too far removed from our own,” says Lindsey Shirer, a Fine Arts Major and senior at Plattsburgh State University.
Not only has the museum continued to keep Québec artistic traditions alive, it also offers a wide range of activities for people to explore the world of art through guided tours, family-oriented games, live theater, and creative performances and workshops for young people. Even the gift shop has something to offer: books, posters, cards, and reproductions of artist’s work are available to all.
And, if you think you’ve seen enough artwork for one day, relax in the museum’s restaurant, which is open during the museum’s business hours. The bay windows and an outdoor terrace offer a view of the St. Lawrence River and the Plains of Abraham, the site of the 1759 Conquest between the French and the British. Meals start at $9.95 and include items such as marinated pork with wild mushrooms, sole fillet stuffed with smoked salmon and spinach, and marinated vegetable salad with vinegar and Feta cheese.
As we entered the museum, our art professor, Jacquie Stoneberger reminded us, “Art is of its place and time.” Although it would be impossible to view 24,000 pieces of art in one day, here are a few exhibits I enjoyed that are definite “must-sees”:
Jean-Paul Riopelle
“My favorite part was the room dedicated to Jean-Paul Riopelle. I was immersed and engaged being able to see different sides of Riopelle,” explains Shirer. “It was nice to see the easel that he worked on. It gave a more personal and approachable look at the art. It’s not just something up on a wall, but you have an idea of where it was created.”
Jean-Paul Riopelle is a contemporary painter who was born in 1923 and recently died at the age of 78 in March 2002. In 1930, his brother died—a person who greatly influenced his work. This changed Riopelle in a way that he began painting with darker colors. To help with the loss, Riopelle moved to Paris in 1949 and began to devote much of his work to the city. His permanent exhibit in the Québec museum holds different expressions and styles of Riopelle throughout his life.
Joan Mitchell, his companion for 25 years, was also a painter who painted with more color than he did. Many people think that Mitchell was the person who brought light into Riopelle’s life, by art and by love. When Mitchell died in 1992, the shock lead Riopelle to the creation of L'Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, a tribute to love and the passing of time. In the same year, Riopelle completed this most recent piece of work in less than two months. It’s considered to be his artistic legacy. This narrative sequence of 30 canvases—which are viewed from right to left in the gallery—contain dark, dreary colors, and the reflection of birds living and eventually dying. This proved as a reflection of Riopelle’s feelings. After this work of art, Riopelle stopped painting permanently.
“Everyone brings different experiences from their lives when they view art; that’s one of the most exciting things about it. It’s not cut and dry. Everyone has shapes or color they respond to,” says Shirer. 
To look at a Riopelle painting is to enter into it: like being swept up by a cyclone in a magnetic field full of objects and their trajectories – their dislocation and their harmonies,” quotes Paul Auster, an American novelist and writer.
Jean-Paul Lemieux
"I'm not a landscape painter. Don't call me that. I like painting figures too much…. I sometimes see myself as the central figure, but as a child in the continuity of generations. I like the feeling of summer in the old days, the feeling of old newsreels or photographs. You get the feeling of fading away."
Lemieux, known for his portrayal of wide-open spaces, is one of Québec’s most beloved artists and is by far my favorite. With about 20 of his canvases, Jean Paul’s work is often divided into five periods. There is a great play of design in all of his works. Up until 1940, Lemieux’s paintings were derived from a realistic and decorative style, known as the Montréal period He left this behind by the beginning of the 1940's, known as his Primitive period (1940-1947), which was marked by scenic detail and a turning toward simplicity. After 1956, Lemieux did more abstract art. After 1970, Lemieux's work can rightfully be called expressionism, because of the passionate expression of the present and future of humans. 
Produced in 1966, Les Noces d’or, which means The Golden Wedding in English, was one of my favorites. As seen in this painting, Lemieux’s paintings are known to capture man's anxiety and solitude.
Riopelle and Lemieux, along with four other exhibits, are part of the permanent collection that is available to the public free of charge, along with four others.
Alain Paiement
Have you ever been surrounded by real life photos? Paiement, who has played a major role in the contemporary art scene, allows his photography to take you on a tour of his world with a “bird’s eye” mapping of his studio-home.
By mounting his camera up high and taking bird’s-eye-view pictures, the floor-to-ceiling works of art contain views such as his bedroom, the outdoors, a bakery, and the surrounding neighborhood. They are bi-dimensional and show immediate living space. This exhibit is a true reminder of reality television because it’s as if a camera is really filming him as he goes through his day. 
Paiement’s, Parages, represents a point of view that destabilizes our relationship with the world around us.
Friction: Sound Objects and Surfaces
From now until November, this state-of-the-art exhibit brings together ten artists, who believe sound is a true art form. Not only can you walk into the original jail cells, but you can also increase your listening skills. Different sound transmitters are used to explore the concepts of friction, such as vinyl records, microphones, speakers, computers, and turntables.
Each cell is designed like a small movie set. For example, one cell has quite an eerie-feel to it—almost horror-film-like—with old socks tossed on the floor and a television emitting the sound of static.
“My favorite part was the sound exhibit. It was different than the stereotypical art. I enjoyed the interaction,” says Beth Barnes, another Fine Arts Major at Plattsburgh State University. “I think everyone from this area needs to go visit a museum like this. Plattsburgh has culture and art, but not enough of it,” she adds.
Have you visited a good museum lately? Let us know!
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Musée national des beaux-arts de Québec
Parc des Champs-de-Bataille
Québec (Québec) Canada
GIR 5H3
Hours
June 1 to September 6:
Monday through Sunday: 10am to 6pm
Wednesday: 10am to 9pm
September 7 to May 31
Monday: Closed
Tuesday through Sunday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 9pm
Prices
Adults: $10
Seniors (65 or over): $9
Ages 12 to 16: $3
Under age 12: Free
Group rates available
Phone: (418) 643-2150
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