A symbol of purity and lost paradise, Jean Paul Lemieux’s Nu sur fond bleu (1963) impresses, with its quiet majesty, as one of the most beautiful pieces in this body of work. Here, the slender figure of a nubile young woman is rendered with sensitivity and modesty, as in a contemplative dream. Bathed in a soft light, the figure walks solemnly against an open sky that seems to vastly heighten her grandeur and gracefulness. The few tiny clouds around her sarong reinforce her presence, which literally transcends the pictorial area. Indeed, the truncated composition is characteristic of Lemieux, who often uses a cinematic shot to frame his subjects, so that they seem both studied and captured in action. Every detail of this angular composition is counterbalanced by the painter’s delicate touch, which breathes strength and beauty into his female subject.
Sometimes appearing at a country meal, sometimes alone in the middle of a field, Lemieux’s nude is part of a poetic narrative. In this painting, an aura of mystery surrounds the figure, who wears a pointed hat and a pareo draped around her waist—a garment that recalls the marginal attire of his harlequin figures (Le petit arlequin, 1959; Les mi-carêmes, 1962; Jeune clown, 1970). The young woman’s profile with slightly bent arm is also reminiscent of the framing and posture of such celebrated paintings as Jeune fille dans le vent (1964) and La mort par un clair matin (1963), acquired by the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, as well as Printemps (1968), included in the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Finally, this work perfectly embodies the spirit of Vent de mer, a painting dating from 1963 in which vacationers are taking in the sun on the beach. In summer, the Lemieux family would occupy a cottage in L’Isle-aux Coudres, where the painter would wholly devote himself to his art.
With Nu sur fond bleu, Lemieux adds an essential piece to his most prized repertoire and brilliantly reaffirms his stature on the international scene.
(A. Lafleur)
