P.V. Beaulieu
Lorne Bouchard
Stanley Cosgrove
Maurice Cullen

J.P. Dallaire
Marcelle Ferron
Marc-Aurèle Fortin
Clarence Gagnon

Francesco Iacurto
A.Y. Jackson
Henri Masson
Robert Pilot

Henri Masson
(1907-1996)

Henri Masson was born on January 10th 1907, in Spa, Belgium. He settled in 1927 with his mother after she remarried following the death of her husband. Masson was first introduced to painting at the age of sixteen when he worked at a printing studio while attending classes at eh Ottawa Art Association and the Ottawa Art Club.

In 1935, Masson began his excursions through Quebec, including the Gatineau, the Gaspé, the Eastern Townships, and the Charlevoix region. Although he painted all over the world, in France, Italy, and Portugal, he kept an affinity for the Canadian landscape, especially in Quebec. Masson took part in many exhibitions during the thirties, but his work did not garner much attention at the time.

In 1942 his work began to receive more interest, which allowed him to leave his job as a printmaker in 1945. He moved to Kingston and began teaching summer classes at Queen’s University, and then in 1948 moved back to Ottawa to teach art classes for children at the National Gallery. His inclination for teaching was very strong, but as his artwork rewarded him with certain notoriety within the Canadian figurative art community he prioritized his art production.

Henri Masson’s works vary widely in subject matter and medium, yet he was always consistent in expressing the world by attuning himself to his particular perception of it. It is in this ability that his style became so strong and consistent, recognizable for its bold lines and forms. He has experimented with drawing, watercolours, pastels, inks and washes; however, he primarily resorted to oil paints, which comprise about ninety percent of his works. His themes are varied, but a commonality in all seems to be the presence of life and humanity in each work. Whether the human subject is depicted or not, Masson always refers to the human landscape. Masson’s ultimate desire to break free of the contemporary discourse around art theory allowed him to paint with a sense of honesty and the freedom to let the subject govern the ultimate spirit of the picture.