Valentin Gallery

In the beginning, L'Art français was a shop selling frames and reproductions of French paintings. The owners were Louis and Lucienne Lange, who came to Canada in 1930. Louis was from Belgium and Lucienne from France. They were ready to go back to Europe when they decided to open the framing gallery on Laurier Avenue, incorporating print sales for better access to the public. Through the framing activity, they started meeting artists who came there to have their paintings framed. In 1936, the first show by Quebec artist Fleurimont Constantineau was the starting point in a non-stop series of exhibitions. Mr. Lange then decided to travel to Europe, especially to France and Belgium, in order to buy paintings. The gallery also exhibited young Canadian painters."L'Art Français in Montreal", Gallery Profile, in Le Collectionneur, Vol.1, n°2, 1978 While it opened with a stock entirely from France, World War II interrupted importations so it went Canadian. In 1943 and 1944 two solo exhibitions of Henri Masson and the first solo of René Richard were held.{{Cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.ameriquefrancaise.org/en/article-540/Ren%C3%A9_Richard,_Landscape_Painter.html|title=Richard Landscape Painter

|encyclopedia= Encyclopédie du patrimoine culturel de l'Amérique française}} Sculptures by Jordi Bonet were also exhibited.{{Cite web|url=http://www.erudit.org/feuilletage/index.html?va1081917.va1258129@32|title = Erudit revues culturelles}}

In the 1950s, painters such as John Little were regularly exhibited. Canadian painters were now the main feature of exhibitions at L'Art français. The Lange also sold the paintings of painters such as Adrien Hébert, Suzor-Côté, Alfred Laliberté, Clarence Gagnon, Horatio Walker, Cornelius Krieghoff, Coburn, Lyman, Jackson, and also abstract surrealist works by Riopelle, Pellan, Borduas, and Jean Dallaire. In 1956, Mr. Lange died and his wife decided to carry on. She exhibited Miyuki Tanobe.Virginia Nixon, Fingers, Art in The Gazette, Spring 1972, p. 48 During these years, Stanley Cosgrove, Ozias Leduc, Paul Soulikias and Goodridge Roberts exhibited their works here."Gallery Jean-Pierre Valentin" in Parcours, Vol.2, n°2, March 1996-March 1997 The gallery exhibited also Henri Masson, Berthe des Clayes,{{Cite web|url=http://www.erudit.org/feuilletage/index.html?va1081917.va1209070@52|title = Erudit revues culturelles}} Edmund Alleyn, Ghitta Caiserman, P.V Beaulieu, Lismer, Borenstein,[http://www.erudit.org/feuilletage/index.html?va1081917.va1207448@64 Erudit index p.52]{{dead link|date=November 2022}} Pilot, [http://www.erudit.org/feuilletage/index.html?va1081917.va1207442@72 Erudit index p. 56]{{dead link|date=November 2022}} Emily Carr, Brymner, Cullen, Franchère, Adrien Hébert, Massicotte, Plamondon, John Young Johnstone,[http://www.erudit.org/feuilletage/index.html?va1081917.va1205274@60 Erudit Index p.40] {{dead link|date=November 2022}} Bourassa,[http://www.erudit.org/feuilletage/index.html?va1081917.va1201505@64 Erudit Index p. 57]{{dead link|date=November 2022}} Laliberté and Henri Julien. [http://www.erudit.org/feuilletage/index.html?va1081917.va1201514@84 Erudit Index p. 73]{{dead link|date=November 2022}}

Since the early 1970s, the gallery exhibits Miyuki Tanobe, young Canadian painters and more "classical" painters such as Marc-Aurèle Fortin. The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec had access to the Fortin's research resources for an exhibition about the artist.Michèle Grandbois, "Remerciements" dans Esther Trépanier, Marc-Aurèle Fortin-L'expérence de la couleur, Les Éditions de l'homme, 2011 The gallery also helps tracking down works in private collections for exhibitions in museums.Michèle Grandbois, "Acknowledgment" in Morrice and Lyman in the company of Matisse, Firefly books, 2014, p.15 Instead of focusing on French art, the gallery forged ahead by choosing to display Québécois and Canadian artists like Lemieux, Riopelle, Suzor-Coté. Retrospective exhibitions were held with artists such as Philip Surrey,{{Cite web |url=http://viedesarts.com/article547-Montreal-on-Canvas-at-Galerie-Jean-Pierre-Valentin |title=Montreal on Canvas at Galerie Jean-Pierre Valentin {{!}} Vie des Arts |access-date=8 August 2014 |archive-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714232436/http://viedesarts.com/article547-Montreal-on-Canvas-at-Galerie-Jean-Pierre-Valentin |url-status=dead }} Molinari,{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/nuarinc/docs/molinari|title=Molinari by Numérique Archambault Nu/Ar Inc - Issuu|website=issuu.com}} Dallaire,{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/nuarinc/docs/dallaire|title=Jean Dallaire exposition rétrospective - Retrospective exhibition Jean Dallaire by Numérique Archambault Nu/Ar Inc - Issuu|website=issuu.com}} Borduas,{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/nuarinc/docs/borduas|title=Paul-Émile Borduas exposition rétrospective - Retrospective exhibition Paul-Émile Borduas by Numérique Archambault Nu/Ar Inc - Issuu|website=issuu.com}} Lyman.{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/nuarinc/docs/lyman|title=Lyman by Numérique Archambault Nu/Ar Inc - Issuu|website=issuu.com}}

The gallery also exhibits young sculptors and painters such as Christian Deberdt, Geneviève Jost, Élène Gamache et Pearl Levy, Jeannette Perreault, Maja Vodanovic,{{cite journal|author=Léo Rosshandler|display-authors=et. al.|title=Critiques|journal=Vie des arts|date=29 March 2010|volume=51|issue=207|page=97|language=fr |url=https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/va/2007-v51-n207-va1094584/2039ac/}} Henry Wanton Jones,{{cite journal|author1=Natasha Hébert |author2=John K. Grande|title=Pleins feux|journal=Vie des arts|year=2003|volume=48|issue=193|page=27|language=fr |url=https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/va/2003-v48-n193-va1098457/52737ac/}} Stanislav Germanov,{{cite journal|title=Here, There and in between|journal=Vie des arts|year=1998|volume=42|issue=173|url=https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/va/1998-v42-n173-va1136289/53176ac/}} Thérèse Lacasse,{{Cite web|url=http://revue-parcours.com/therese-lacasse/|title=Thérèse Lacasse ‹ Magazine Parcours – Art Contemporain – Culture – Société – Tourisme Culturel}} Guylaine Beauchemin.{{cite journal|author=Aline Côté|title=Guylaine Beauchemin L’intimité et l’immensité|journal=Vie des arts|year=1999|volume=42|issue=174|page=53|url=https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/va/1999-v42-n174-va1135953/53148ac/}} At each anniversary the gallery presents a selection of Canada classics.

Born in France in 1949, he is a master in International Trade after studies in a Paris commerce school. He was a Paris-based art dealer who travelled the world selling works of art."A portrait of a gallery director. Jean-Pierre Valentin. Galerie L'Art français", Magazin'Art, 2e année, n°1, Automne 1989 In 1977, he occupied a position on the Board of Trustees of the Professional Art Dealers Association of Canada. In 1981, he became the youngest presidentJoanne Eidinger, "The business of art. Art finds a chaperone in PADAC" in Montreal Review, September 1981, p. 26 and was re-elected in 1983.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ad-ac.ca/AboutADAC.php |title=Art Dealers Association of Canada / Association des Marchands d'Art du Canada |access-date=13 August 2014 |archive-date=26 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726163726/http://www.ad-ac.ca/AboutADAC.php |url-status=dead }} He has given conferences on how to build an art collection and on how to invest in art,Art. The new world of investment, Merrit fine art seminars, Saturday, 14 November 1981, Montreal on the importance of a good appraisalCanadian Cultural Programmes L.A.E. Inc., Division: History of Canadian Art, Monday 20 April, Montreal and on the works of Marc-Aurèle Fortin.Montreal print collectors society. Newsletter, Vol. 15, n°5, February 1999 He is working on a catalogue raisonné of this artist.

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• [http://www.galerievalentin.com/?setlang=EN Valentin Gallery]

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Category:Art museums and galleries in Quebec

Category:History of Montreal

Category:1934 establishments in Quebec

Category:Art museums and galleries established in 1934