Marc-aurÈle cÔtÉ

It was not until his exhibition of 2003 at The National Gallery of Canada that I saw and experienced his entire life.  How do you tell someone about what is there in front of you in the beauty of color and design never experienced in your life.  Really I mean it. Since I was only interested in his sculpting of the three Indian women plus some pioneer Quebec settlers I did not think too much more.

Upon looking up his studio address in Montreal I got to see what was the spot where he once worked and displayed his works.  Little did I know he had another studio in the country.

By the time I purchased the exhibition catalogue and the video on his life I felt that I had finished learning about this long time forgotten artist.  I once bought a special edition book from a Montreal writer but sold it to someone who wanted it more then I did at the time.  It was on special paper and the reproductions were a delight, a work of art all by itself.

So here I am after 40 years of searching this artist trying to get you interested in him just like I was so long ago.

The exhibition catalogue is in English and French and the film is from the national Film Board of Canada with subtitles in English.

The works say all that there is to be said and express what he loved the most, his own country.  The training he got in France did help him gain the education and techniques no other artist in Canadian history had discovered.

To show his work in black and white would be a crime so I hope you appreciate the color reproductions I have in this record.

His statue in front of the Quebec Parliament Buildings in Quebec City get lost amongst the other 21 statues.  “Joliete” is there in his full glory in bronze taking his place in Canadian history.

The Trapper, the Portageur”, le Vieux Pioneer at sa Campagne and Marie Chapdelaine are perhaps his most famous works.

As I mentioned “Femmes de Caughnawaga” takes the prize as the three of them strut along cloths catching the breeze as they make their way.  I had seen the work being cast again in the foundry in New York City (Roman Bronze).

I have noted he did 50 works in sculpting during his lifetime.  I will try to name most of them even though I have not seen many of them

I am glad that after 75 years of seclusion he has come forward through the combined efforts of our cultural administrators.  If you did not get to see this show you missed one of the best ever.  I had to go to Quebec City to see the other exhibitions for P. Hebert who died in 1917. His catalogue is 400 pages and all in French.

Marc-Aurele de Suzor-Cote painter, sculptor and artist of the finest of fine.  My first introduction to him and his work goes back many years.  When I first visited Montreal he was an unknown but soon became a as well known as I could find.  It was the finding that has taken so long.

Marc-Aurèle de Suzor Côté  1869 - 1937