Lot 38: Jacques Hurtubise 1939 - Canadian acrylic on

Jacques Hurtubise 1939 - Canadian acrylic on canvas Frédégonde 36 x 36 inches 91.4 x 91.4 centimeters signed and dated 1966 and on verso signed, titled and dated Provenance:Private Collection, Montreal A Max Beckmann scholarship enabled Jacques Hurtubise to study in New York in 1960, and until 1968 he returned frequently. However, by the mid-1960s Hurtubise had abandoned the influence of New York Abstract Expressionism and adopted the flat surfaces and sharp edges of the Plasticiens. His use of colour became electric, with the juxtaposition of bright colours activating optical effects. At first hard-edge, Hurtubise's paintings evolved into forms that were less restricted in shape, as in Frédégonde, where his use of line generates a heightened nervous energy. This vibratory work has a connotation of the kind of images that emerged from pop culture, such as the wild optics of light shows and music posters. It was typical of Hurtubise in the mid-1960s to title his paintings with the names of women, and it is possible that Frédégonde refers to the historical and notorious Frankish Queen Frédégonde. A similar 1966 painting entitled Elisabeth is in the collection of the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, and the National Gallery of Canada has five mid-1960s works in their collection.