Draft:Marcelin Cardinal

Marcelin Cardinal, Canadian artist - abstract, colorist, and figurative painter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marcelin (sometimes spelled Marcellin) Cardinal (April 26, 1920 – October 25, 2019) was 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] and highly prolific 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.

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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] Despite limited formal schooling, his exceptional performance on military intelligence tests earned him the rank of Captain. He subsequently served as a commando and was seconded to the British Army as an instructor.[4][6]

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] He became acquainted with leading figures of modern art, including Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, and Francis Picabia.[4] 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] He maintained a strict system for his brushes and pigments and stored his canvases in a custom rack organized by size.[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.[7]
  • Technique: Marcelin Cardinal was known for his precision and 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:

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[8]

References

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