Self-portrait

Léo Ayotte is one of the most authentic and beloved figures of 20th-century Quebec figurative art. Born in Sainte-Flore, in the Mauricie region, he moved to Montreal in 1938. As a self-taught artist, he began his career as a model and janitor at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal, where he quietly observed classes and developed his technique.

Ayotte is renowned for his speed and spontaneous style. He often painted in a single stroke without retouching, using a vibrant and bold color palette. His favorite subjects included the landscapes of his native Mauricie, still lifes, and portraits. Unlike many of his contemporaries who moved toward abstraction, he remained faithful to a direct and warm representation of the Canadian wilderness. His work, filled with poetry and simplicity, reflects a profound love for light and the rural landscapes of Quebec.