Landscape

Born in Sainte-Rose, Marc-Aurèle Fortin is one of Quebec’s most original and prolific painters. A solitary and passionate artist, he has dedicated his life to celebrating the Quebec landscape, creating a unique style that blends the power of nature with a lyrical and sometimes tormented vision of his homeland.

Fortin’s philosophy is rooted in an unconditional love for the inhabited landscape of Quebec. Unlike the Group of Seven, which sought out the wilderness, Fortin celebrated rural life: old elm-framed houses, bustling harbors, and picturesque villages. His aesthetic is one of poetic exaggeration: he did not seek to copy nature, but to express its overflowing vitality, light, and shadow through dramatic contrasts.

Fortin painted on black oil paint backgrounds, which gave the colours applied over them a dazzling luminosity and striking depth. Later, he used grey backgrounds to achieve softer, more ethereal atmospheres, capturing the shifting light of Quebec’s seasons.

His violet skies, acid greens, and deep reds reflect an expressionist sensibility that was ahead of its time in Quebec. Fortin immortalized Quebec before the era of urban modernity, becoming one of the most popular and beloved painters among Quebec collectors.