Jean Paul Riopelle
Jean Paul Riopelle
Celebrate one of the most globally-revered Canadian artists of the 20th century with our suite of collectable coins and keepsakes.
Jean Paul Riopelle
The Transformative Artistry of Jean Paul Riopelle
Original, experimental, exceptional. Jean Paul Riopelle defied convention with a cutting-edge approach to his craft—from mosaics, to sculpture, to spray paint, and more. As one of the first Canadian artists whose work was globally recognized for its significance, Riopelle remains an inspiration to this day, encouraging artists of all disciplines to follow their intuition.
Jean Paul Riopelle’s boundless creativity is celebrated with the 2023 commemorative $2 circulation coin—an iconic tribute to an illustrious Canadian artist in honour of the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Ambassador for Canadian Art and its Global Significance
Montréal-born Jean Paul Riopelle (1923–2002) left a legacy defined by his distinct artistic vision. Throughout his 50-plus-year career, Riopelle produced nearly 7,000 pieces of art and was featured in over 200 exhibits across the globe.
With works that reveal a lifelong love of nature, and mosaics that reflect his belief in unconstrained creative expression, Riopelle used his art to push boundaries and command the attention of critics and art lovers worldwide.
His unique perspective and inimitable style established Riopelle as one of the most renowned and recognized artists of the 20th century, and influenced Canadian art for generations to come.
Photo: Jean-Paul Riopelle
© Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Fonds Basil Zarov/e011205153
Credit: Basil Zarov
La Défaite. 1962-1963, unique bronze lost wax sculpture; left section: 207 cm x 80 cm x 115 cm, right section: 213 cm x 95 cm x 119 cm
2023 Commemorative Collector Keepsake Card – 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Jean Paul Riopelle
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2023 Commemorative Collector Keepsake Collection
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L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, 1992, acrylic and spray paint on canvas. Triptych, 1.55 m in height x 40.39 m in length. © Estate of Jean Paul Riopelle / Copyright Visual Arts - CARCC (2023).
Photography: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. Idra Labrie.
L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg: A Coded Meditation On Love And Loss
The commemorative circulation coin highlights a portion (Panel 29) of Jean Paul Riopelle’s monumental fresco, L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg.
Created in 1992 at his Île-aux-Oies studio, the 40-metre long, 30-paneled tryptic was one of Riopelle’s final and most significant works. A coded meditation on love and loss, the art forms a symbolic representation of the life Riopelle shared with his former companion, American painter Joan Mitchell.
The name of the piece, L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, derives from a nickname given to Mitchell by Riopelle, “Rosa Malheur”—a reference to French painter Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899) and to Rosa Luxemburg (1871–1919), a Polish-German revolutionary.
Unlike his signature mosaics, which he used a palette knife to produce, Riopelle used spray-paint and acrylics to create this sprawling masterpiece. A variety of silhouettes are showcased, and were created from real life objects he placed and painted over.
Today, L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg can be found on display at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec in Quebec City.
Panel 29 of L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, 1992, acrylic and spray paint on canvas. Triptych, 1.55 m in height x 40.39 m in length.
© Estate of Jean Paul Riopelle / Copyright Visual Arts - CARCC (2023).
Photography: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. Idra Labrie.
Limitless self-expression. Explore the creative world of Jean Paul Riopelle and celebrate a standout Canadian artist with our newest commemorative circulation coin.
Boundless Creativity
Petit hibou, circa 1970, cast iron 1989 and 2010. Original terracotta sculpture. Bronze, lost wax casting. 12.4 x 12.4 x 4 cm. © Estate of Jean Paul Riopelle / Copyright Visual Arts - CARCC (2023).
Sculpture
Sculpture
Despite Riopelle’s prolificacy as a painter, only about one-third of his works were created in that form. In fact, he produced nearly 250 sculptures throughout his career.
Sculpture was an art form Riopelle had been experimenting with since his youth to “break away from the habits of painting,” but it wasn’t until the 1960s that he first exhibited his creations. Like his other artworks, Riopelle made his sculptures uniquely his own. While most traditional sculptures emphasized the smoothness of the material, Riopelle’s appeared fragmented, just like his paintings.
His largest sculpture is La Joute, which was cast around 1974. This 31-piece arrangement was originally installed at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal in 1976. Today, it can be seen at Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle—a public square dedicated to the artist in the city he was born in.
Panel 29 of L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, 1992, acrylic and spray paint on canvas.
Triptych, 1.55 m in height x 40.39 m in length.
© Estate of Jean Paul Riopelle / Copyright Visual Arts - CARCC (2023).
Photography: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. Idra Labrie.
Spray Paint
Spray Paint
Although he is best-known for his colourful mosaics, Riopelle experimented with various art forms and materials throughout his storied career.
In the 1970s (a time in which he was living in France but visiting Canada frequently), Riopelle’s interest shifted to spray paint—a tool that fascinated him, and was more accessible as his health declined. He had used similar tools before, such as pipettes and atomizers, but nothing as easy-to-use as an aerosol can.
During this time, he created art with everyday objects, playing with silhouettes and negative space, and was inspired by everything from nature to hockey players, as seen in L’Hommage à Duchamp (Hommage à Maurice Richard) (1990).
Photo: Jean-Paul Riopelle
© Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Fonds Basil Zarov/e011205151
Credit: Basil Zarov
Collage
Collage
In the 1960s, Riopelle began to dabble in printmaking—which led to the creation of his collages.
From his studio in suburban Paris, and inspired by friends in the art community, he would cut up his own prints and paste the shapes to a surface (such as canvas), creating mixed media artworks. Rather abstract, the shapes he cut were a variety of sizes and arranged in a complex way.
According to printmaker Bonnie Baxter, with whom Riopelle frequently collaborated, this art form appealed to Riopelle “…because it allowed him to try out different arrangements. A print could progress and advance based on reworking, layering, and then be deconstructed and reformatted as a collage.”
Photo: Jean-Paul Riopelle
© Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Fonds Basil Zarov/e011205147
Credit: Basil Zarov
Untitled. 1975-1976, sanguine and charcoal drawing on paper (4 panels), 99 cm x 131 cm
Untitled. 1975-1976, sanguine and charcoal drawing on paper, 65.5 cm x 49.5 cm
Mosaic
Mosaic
Riopelle developed his signature style in the 1950s after moving to Paris in 1947.
He began to create his mosaic oil paintings by squeezing colours directly onto the canvas and thickly applying them with a palette knife. Abandoning the paint brush changed how Riopelle depicted a scene on canvas; his use of a palette knife was a new way to achieve colourful, abstract works.
Some of his best-known artwork was created using this technique, including Vent du nord (1953), Hommage aux Nymphéas – Pavane (1954), and Perspectives (1956). It was during this time that Riopelle began to receive international recognition and acclaim for his undeniably unique style and masterful talent.
Photo: Jean-Paul Riopelle
© Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Fonds Basil Zarov/e011205148
Credit: Basil Zarov
Untitled. 1975-1976, charcoal drawing on paper (triptych), 63.4 cm x 48 cm
Academic
Academic
As a youth, Riopelle painted within the confines of academic tradition based on his classical training. His parents encouraged his artistic tendencies, and registered him in art classes. One of his first teachers was Henri Bisson—a proponent of Realism and figurative art.
Riopelle’s style of painting began to evolve when, in the early 1940s, he enrolled in the art program at École du meuble. Here, he was exposed to new art styles, including Abstractism and Surrealism. He also befriended future members of Les Automatistes—a group of artists (which would include Riopelle) led by Paul-Émile Borduas. Known for painting without preconceptions, Les Automatistes had an immense impact on Canadian art and culture—particularly with their 1948 publication of the Refus global manifesto, which called for extreme social change in Quebec.
This was a transformative time for Riopelle as he began to experiment freely and intuitively, eventually leading to the discovery of his signature art style, for which he is best known today.
Artistic Genius: Achievements and Global Influence
L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, 1992, acrylic and spray paint on canvas. Triptych, 1.55 m in height x 40.39 m in length. © Estate of Jean Paul Riopelle / Copyright Visual Arts - CARCC (2023).
Photography: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. Idra Labrie.
A standout Canadian talent, some of Riopelle’s most notable achievements include:
UNESCO Prize
Riopelle was the first Canadian artist to win the UNESCO Prize at the 1962 Venice Biennale. He also exhibited at the 1954 Venice Biennale and the 1955 San Paulo Biennale.
Youngest Artist At National Gallery
Riopelle exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada in 1963. At the time, he was the youngest artist to have a major exhibition there.
Olympic Installation
Riopelle installed La Joute at Montréal’s Olympic Stadium ahead of the 1976 summer Olympic Games.
Official Appointments
Riopelle was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada (1969) and Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec (1994).
Today, Riopelle’s artworks belonging to public collections can be found in over 60 cities, 18 countries, and six continents all around the world, including at the National Gallery of Canada, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, the Guggenheim Museum, Centre Pompidou, Tate Gallery, and many more.
The Art of Change
Always the innovator, Jean Paul Riopelle became one of the most important and influential Canadian artists of the 20th century by following his intuition and letting creativity be his guide. In doing so, Riopelle inspired—and continues to inspire—artists all over the world to embrace their individuality.
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Jean Paul Riopelle’s birth, and the lasting legacy of his life’s work, with our 2023 commemorative $2 circulation coin—a piece of art that all Canadians can enjoy.
Thank You
The ‘Riopelle100’ mark, created by Raphaël Melançon, appears on the coin courtesy of the Riopelle Foundation, in collaboration with which the coin was created.
Panel 29 of L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, 1992, acrylic and spray paint on canvas. Triptych, 1.55 m in height x 40.39 m in length. © Estate of Jean Paul Riopelle / Copyright Visual Arts - CARCC (2023).
