Marcelin Cardinal
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Marcelin Cardinal | |
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| Born | April 26, 1920 |
| Died | October 25, 2019 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Known for | Abstract, colorist, and figurative painting |
| Movement | Modernism |
Marcelin (sometimes spelled Marcellin) Cardinal (April 26, 1920 – October 25, 2019) is a Canadian artist[1][2] known for his work as an abstract, colorist, and figurative painter. His career spanned over seven decades. Cardinal is noted for his unique position as a self-taught[3] artist who moved between the modernist circles of the South of France and the New York School during the mid-20th century, before settling in Montréal.
Early life and education
Marcelin Cardinal was born on April 26, 1920, in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan[1]. His father was a building contractor in western Canada until the Great Depression halted public construction projects. In 1931, the family relocated to the rugged wilderness of Makwa, Saskatchewan, to pursue a pioneer lifestyle.[4]
Due to the absence of a local school, Cardinal spent his youth exploring the nature of his family's farm with his dog - an experience that deeply influenced his later art.[5] In 1938, after only two years of high school, he left home to work various odd jobs.[6]
Military service
With the outbreak of World War II, Marcelin Cardinal joined the Canadian Army, serving from 1941 to 1944.[7]
Artistic beginnings
Cardinal's interest in art was sparked by a visit to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal) in 1941, an experience he described as transformational.[7] He decided then to pursue a life as an artist following the war. Entirely self-taught, he held his first solo exhibition in Montréal in 1947.[6][8]
Career
France and New York (1950–1970)
In 1950, Cardinal moved to Europe, establishing himself in the village of Le Cannet on the Côte d’Azur, France.[7] A key turning point occurred while skin-diving in the Mediterranean; Cardinal observed how water and light transformed perceived space, leading to his lifelong focus on the "living" quality of light and texture.[4][5]
By the mid-1950s, Cardinal had established a second base of operations in New York City. He frequented the Cedar Tavern, a well-known gathering place for the New York School of artists, which further influenced his perspective on the abstract movement.[6][7]
From 1951 onward, Cardinal supported himself exclusively through his art sales. He established a unique professional routine, typically painting in Le Cannet and traveling by ship to New York to sell his work. He completed approximately 30 trans-Atlantic crossings during this two-decade period.[4][6]
Return to Canada
In 1970, Marcelin and his wife Roseline Cardinal moved to Montréal, Quebec.[7] He remained a prolific artist in the city for nearly five decades. While he continued to produce a vast body of work privately, his final commercial gallery exhibition during his lifetime was held at Galerie Frédéric Palardy in Montréal in 1990.[4][8]
Studio and working method
From 1974 until 2015, Cardinal worked out of a unique studio at 4897 chemin Queen-Mary in Montréal. The workspace was an 800-square-foot converted parking garage situated at the ground level of his apartment building.[9] Unlike the stereotypical "messy" artist's studio, Cardinal's workspace was described as extremely neat, clean, and highly organized, a reflection of his disciplined military background.[6][9]
Style and technique
In 1972, Vie des Arts published a profile on Cardinal[5] where he described himself as a free and nomadic painter and emphasized his desire to remain free of social contingencies.
A critical review in Vie des Arts (1981)[7] noted a stylistic shift in his later career: while earlier works featured "pure colors in flat tints," his later paintings utilized "duller, more serious tones" that invited contemplation.
- Mediums: Prior to 1970, he worked primarily with oil paint. Upon moving to Montréal in 1970, he switched to acrylics.[5]
- Technique: Marcelin Cardinal always mixed his own colours for both oil and acrylic mediums. In later years, he employed a layering technique reminiscent of a palimpsest, where early layers of colour and signs were partially erased and painted over, creating a sense of depth and continuity.[7]
Personal life
In 1962, while in Cannes, France, Marcelin Cardinal met Roseline Bernaud. They were married in New York in 1965 and remained inseparable for over 50 years.[6] Cardinal died of heart failure in Montréal on October 25, 2019, at the age of 99.[4] His wife Roseline passed on October 13, 2024.[4]
Collections and public works
Marcelin Cardinal's work is held in numerous private and public collections, including:
- The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC)[10]
- The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec[11]
- The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MACM). Notable works in the MACM collection include Pablo (1973), Licor (1988) and Vancou-4-Bis (1989).[12]
- University of Cape Breton, Sydney, Nova Scotia[13]
Public art
- Saint-Michel Metro Station (Montréal): A large mural by Cardinal[14] is installed on the platform of the Saint-Michel metro station. The work consists of painted fiber-cement and glass blocks and is part of a series of murals in the station created alongside artists Charles Lemay, Lauréat Marois, and Normand Moffat.
Selected exhibitions
- 1947: La Maisonnette, Montréal (Debut)
- 1958: Matthiesen Gallery, London
- 1960: Feingarten Galleries, Chicago
- 1954 : Galerie 65, Cannes, France – with Lurçat, Miro, Picasso, and others.
- 1971-1972 : L’Art dans la rue (esquisses des projets, étés 1976 et 1977)
- 1975: Galerie Gilles Corbeil, Montréal
- 1978: Tendances actuelles au Québec, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
- 1990: Galerie Frédéric Palardy, Montréal
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Government of Canada, Canadian Heritage (2012-10-17). "Artists in Canada". app.pch.gc.ca. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ Not stated (1 March 2026). "Canadian Who's Who 2010 Edition - Marcelin Cardinal". canadianwhoswho.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Cardinal, Marcellin | Dictionnaire des artistes de l'objet d'art au Québec". artistesduquebec.ca. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "About | Marcelin Cardinal Fine Art Paintings". Marcelin Cardinal Art. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Allègre, Christian (8 February 2026). "Marcelin Cardinal, Vie des Arts, Numéro 66, printemps 1972". Erudit. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Cardinal, Roseline; Lucarotti, Christopher (2020-03-31). "Northern Saskatchewan space and Mediterranean light both influenced artist Marcelin Cardinal". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Lefebvre, Germain (Winter 1981–1982). "Marcellin Cardinal : temps, espace et continuité". Vie des Arts 26 (105): 32–34". Erudit. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Exhibitions". Marcelincardinal Ca. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lucarotti, Christopher (2024-02-22). "Marcelin's Studio". Marcelincardinal Ca. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ↑ "Search results for: marcelin cardinal, page 1 | Collections Search Center, Smithsonian Institution". collections.si.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ↑ "Sirocco". Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec - MNBAQ (in français). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ↑ "Découvrez l'artiste Marcelin Cardinal". MACrépertoire (in français). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
- ↑ "Cape Breton University: Object: Auche 2000.19". www.cbuagcollection.ca. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ↑ "Saint-Michel (Marcelin Cardinal, Charles Lemay, Lauréat Marois and Normand Moffat)". Société de transport de Montréal. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
External links
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