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BOUCHARD, Simone Marie

Born
Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, 1912
Died
Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, 1945
Biography synopsis
Despite her lack of formal training, Simone Marie Bouchard (alternately spelled Simone-Mary or S. Mary) won considerable recognition throughout her tragically short career. Her artistic tendencies found their first outlet in the making of hooked rugs, which she sold to tourists. However, she soon began painting genre scenes in the folk tradition, featuring scenery from in and around the Charlevoix region. The naivety of her style was appreciated by many, and artist Alfred Pellan called her "Quebec's greatest primitive." In the 1930s, she counted Marius Barbeau, Jean-Paul Lemieux and Jori Smith among the guests to her studio. After exhibiting her paintings with the Contemporary Arts Society, she attracted the attention of Patrick Morgan of Boston and Mrs. A.F. Culver of Montreal, both of whom became avid collectors of her work. She exhibited in New York City (1938), Andover, Massachusetts (1942), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1945), and other venues, in addition to annual exhibitions in Montreal. She died of a lung ailment at the age of 32. Her work can be found in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada, and two memorial exhibitions were mounted by the Dominion Art Gallery in Montreal (1947 and 1952).
Media used
Painting
Textiles
Memberships
Contemporary Arts Society
File & Archive locations
Art Gallery of Ontario - Edward P. Taylor Research Library and Archives
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, QC
National Gallery of Canada, ON - Library and Archives
Vancouver Art Gallery, BC - Library
Musée de Charlevoix, QC
Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, QC
Canadian Women Artists History Initiative Documentation Centre, QC
Canadian Museum of Civilization Archives, QC
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Writings about
"Une exposition du plus grand interet." La Presse (Montreal) 12 Jun. 1941
Ayre, Robert. "Exhibit at Morgan's by Canadian Artists would make Fine Gifts." Standard (Montreal) 6 Dec. 1941: 27
Baker, Victoria, et al. Scenes of Charlevoix 1784-1950. Montreal: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1982
Bertrand, Magdeleine. Les Femmes artistes du Québec de 1875 à 1925. Montreal: Université de Montréal, 1990
Biron, Normand. "La grande dame de Baie-Saint-Paul." Vie des arts 183 (Summer 2001): 10
Boulizon, Guy. Le Paysage Dans La Peinture Au Quebec. Quebec: Broquet, Laprairie, 1984
Boutilier, Alicia & Tobi Bruce. The Artist Herself : Self-portraits by Canadian Historical Women Artists / L'artiste elle-même : autoportraits de femmes artistes au Canada. Kingston, ONT.: Agnes Etherinton Art Centre. Hamilton: Art Gallery Hamilton, 2015
Brunet-Weinmann, Monique. Simone Mary Bouchard et Louise Gadbois : l'art naïf dans la modernité Saint-Sauveur, Québec: M. Broquet, 2009
Doyon, Charles. "La peinture feminine." Le Clairon (Sainte-Hyacinthe) ?
Dubé, Richard and François Tremblay. Peindre un pays: Charlevoix et ses peintres populaires. Laprairie, Quebec: Éditions Broquet Inc, 1989
Eber, Dorothy. "What Quebec's 'Primitives' Don't Know About Art is Making Them Rich." Macleans 78.7 (3 April 1965): 17-19
Eber, Dorothy and Gilles Hénault. "La mode est aux peintres folkloriques." Macleans 5.6 (Jun. 1965): 23-25
Ellenwood, Ray. Egregore: A History of The Montreal Automatist Movement. Toronto: Exile Editions, 1992
Farr, Dorothy and Luckyj, Natalie. From Women's Eyes: Women Painters in Canada. Kingston: Agnes Etherington Art Centre, 1975
Gadbois, Louise. "Mary Bouchard." Liaison Montreal, Canada: Vol 2, Sept. 1948: 399-405
Gendreau, Andrée. Charlevoix, terre d'origine, lieu de l'autre. Quebec: Université Laval, 1982
Harper, J. Russell. A People's Art: Primitive, Naïve, Provincial and Folk Painting in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto, 1974
Hill, C.C. and P.B. Landry, eds. National Gallery Catalogue, Canadian Art. Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1988
Kobayashi, Terry and Michael Bird. A Compendium of Canadian Folk Artists. Erin, Ontario: Boston Mills Press, 1985
Lamontagne, Gilles G. "Charlevoix consacre l'art populaire." La Presse (Montreal) Montreal: 1 Aug. 1990: A13
MacDonald, Colin S. The Dictionary of Canadian Artists. (Volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker) Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 2009.
McKendry, Blake. Dictionary of Folk Artists in Canada: From the 17th Century to the Present. Elginburg: Blake McKendry, 1988
McMann, Evelyn de Rostaing. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Formerly Art Association of Montreal: Spring Exhibitions, 1880-1970. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1988
National Gallery of Canada. Catalogue of Paintings and Sculpture, Vol. 3: Canadian School. Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1960
Palardy, Jean. Peintres populaires de Charlevoix / Primitive Painters of Charlevoix. Montreal: National Film Board of Canada, 1947
Reference Division, McPherson Library, compilers. Creative Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Creative and Performing Arts. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, University of Victoria, 1971
Robert, Guy. L'Art au Québec depuis 1940. Montreal: La Presse, 1973
Robert, Guy. La peinture au Québec depuis ses origines. Sainte-Adèle, QC: Iconia, 1978
Toupin, Gilles. "La Societe d'art contemporain: l'art quebecois avant les dissensions." La Presse Montreal: 30 May 1981: D1 & D20
Westbridge, Anthony R. The Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction. Vancouver: Westbridge Publications, 2001

Full text pdfs of exhibition reviews
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, ) "Exhibits Drawn From Wide Area. Growing Importance of Spring Art Exhibition More Generally Recognized."  Gazette (Montreal)  .  p.5.   Full-text pdf

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