Biography

Dubreuil

Mariette Dubreuil, Landscape painter

Painter whose artworks represents a unique testimony on built and landscape heritage of Val-David. 
Born in Montreal on October 31, 1907, Mariette Dubreuil is the second daughter of Alphonse Dubreuil and Ernertine Merleau. Alphonse, her father, enjoys a successful career as an Architect graduated from the Fine Art School of Montreal. Mariette had two sisters, Claire and Marguerite, to which she was close. 

At twenty-five years old, she studied at École des beaux-arts of Montreal from 1932 to 1942. Her training encouraged her to get art wood and plaster courses, including modelling training with Alfred Laliberté. Thereafter, Dubreuil continued her artistic training at the museum of fine art of Montreal by attending a portrait course under the leadership of André de Tenancourt. From 1940-45, she joined a small group of painting artists : Art and Independent Club of Westmount.

Trained in a conservative academic context, Dubreuil followed the spirit of the teaching received. The line in her work translates well the proposed form and respects the appearances of the real world. Its originality lies in the calm order of her compositions, the correctness of colours and the choice of her terms: the architectural heritage as well as the enchanting landscapes of the sites. The works of Dubreuil is not just contemplative, it favours spontaneous communication between the artwork and the observer. Her artworks have always been attractive to Val-David residents mainly because she used to paint scenes that are familiar to everyone.

From 1940-50, the artist works his painting so as to spread the material with large brush by overly stain, accentuated contrast, vigorous and harmonious. However, over the years, her technique is oriented towards a more lean pictorial work. Mariette Dubreuil paints in oil over a canvas cardboard. Occasionally she sometimes paints on masonite. She signs all her artworks, most of the time at the bottom of the canvas on the right corner.

In spring 1998, at the age of ninety-one, the artist silently dies, leaving behind her the memory of a generous lady who dedicated the last twenty-five years of her life to paint in her own way the charming village of Val-David. The artist in a press release wrote:«...Unchanging, beautiful in any season, nature is my unique inspiration ».