FERNAND LABELLE WINTER LANDSCAPE, 1977

FERNAND LABELLE (CANADIAN/QUEBEC, 1934�2012) OIL ON CANVAS, SIGNED AND DATED "LABELLE 77" LOWER RIGHT. A HEAVILY IMPASTO CANADIAN WINTER LANDSCAPE DEPICTING TALL EVERGREEN AND SNOW-COVERED BIRCH TREES 30 X 30 IN 31.5 X 31.5 IN FRAMED FERNAND LABELLE WAS A PROMINENT CANADIAN LANDSCAPE PAINTER BORN IN CORNWALL, ONTARIO, WHO PURSUED FORMAL STUDIES IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA AND THE SORBONNE IN PARIS BEFORE DECISIVELY ABANDONING A TEACHING CAREER AT AGE 29 TO PAINT FULL-TIME. ROOTED HEAVILY IN THE POSTWAR REGIONALIST TRADITION, HE BECOME REKNOWNED FOR HIS EXPERT USE OF IMPASTO PALETTE KNIFE WORK TO DEPICT CRICK, SNOW-COVERED QUEBEC EXPANSES, FORESTS, AND RURAL TERROIR. LABELLE EXHIBITED INTERNATIONALLY ACROSS TWENTY COUNTRIES AND IN 1989 BECAME THE FIRST CANADIAN ARTIST TO PRESENT A SOLO EXHIBITION AT THE SOLLE BASSE OF THE PALAIS DE LA BERBIE AT THE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC MUSEUM IN ALBI, FRANCE.