International studio (81.1925)

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teenth century, the economic
upheaval, which preceded the
cession of Canada and the po-
litical unrest which followed it,
drew the attention of church
and state to more vital issues
than art, and the next fifty years
saw an almost complete indif-
ference to the arts on the part
of the Canadian people. It was
then that the teaching and work
of Louis Quevillon attracted the
attention of all by its success in
developing what proved to be a
distinct style of church con-
struction and interior decora-
tion.

Louis Quevillon was born at
St. Vincent de Paul, October
14th, 1749. His was the fourth
generation of the Quevillon fam-
ily in New France, and his par-
ents were of the average settler
type. He became very skilful as
joiner and carpenter while learn-
ing in his father's shop, who
exercised this trade. In his
youth he made contracts under
his own name and is even then
designated in the deeds as mas-
ter joiner. It was in 1780 that

one of the lateral altars of the church of notre-da me-des-anges, the notarial documents first give

once part of the recollets church and carved by louis quevillon him either the designation of
and his associates .

master architect or master sculp-

those born instructors adopted for the formation tor. Quevillon was, to a certain extent, his own

of their pupils a rule almost monastic. In fact, master. He showed a great inclination for every-

they resurrected here in Canada those wonderful thing artistic. Without any other guidance than

Christian studios whose birth old Europe beheld the plans and texts of Vignola, the Italian archi-

in the midst of those oases of prayer, art and tect famous for his studies on Vitruvius and the

science which we call abbeys and monasteries. A author of "The Five Orders of Architecture,"

more striking example of atavism, artistic tern- Quevillon devoted himself to the decoration and

perament and creative energy is seldom heard of. the adornment of churches by means of sculpture

History tells us that since 1668 the art of wood- in wood and the attention of the wealthier French

carving was taught in Canada. Monseigneur de Canadians of the time gradually was drawn to this

Laval had in that year established two schools of budding artist. Finally several merchants decided

arts and trades, one at Quebec, and the other at to finance the establishment of a school under his

St. Joachim, not far from that city. Parish regis- direction.

ters, as well as judicial documents, show that at The work which really did the most to attract
different periods before the cession of Canada to the attention of his fellow-countrymen to his
England there were in the Province of Quebec a talent was the decoration of the parish church of
great number of sculptors. We know, for instance, St. Vincent de Paul, his native village. The first
of three generations of Labrosse dit Jourdain exer- pupils of Quevillon were Pepin and Labrosse. The
cising this delicate art. One of them was the former was helping his master in 1801, while deco-
author of the carved wood altar of the Jesuits' rating the church at Boucherville, their main work
Church still extant in the year 1732 in Montreal, consisting of a cornice, a pulpit, the church-
According to different authors of the early nine- warden's pew and the scroll for the main altar.

Jour twenly-eight

september i 9 2 5