One of the most stimulating mandates of a museum is acquiring new objects and pieces of artwork to enhance its mission.

Since the departure of its founder and director, Mr Gérald Lavallée, in 1987, the museum made a few new acquisitions. Recently, however, important efforts were undertaken to fill gaps in the collections and acquire works by masters and artisans from the 1920's to the present.

Here, we present you with a few of our acquisitions for the year 2009.

     Religious Statue
Saint unidentified, possibly Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur
Anonymous
Québec (?), 18^th-19^th century
Polychrome wood, wrought iron
60 x 16 x 12,5 cm
Donation from Mr Luc Émond
MMAQ 2009.13
Photo: Jimena Aragones

The statues of saints are usually accompanied by symbols referring to their history and attributes. However, this statue has been subjected to several alterations and damages which limit our interpretation. The images still intact include the book in the left hand, the somewhat plain robe in blue or red, the sandal on the left foot, the beard, the long curly hair and the pedestal with geometric decoration. The antique dealer who carried out the evaluation of the statue before its acquisition identified it as perhaps Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur. A saint, an apostle or even Jesus himself? What the figure does reflect, like many others of its kind, is the important presence of the catholic religion in Québec until the 1960s. It would have been found in a church or a private environment for devotion or prayer.

     Series « Longue durée », 1975/1980
Textiles
Carole Simard-Laflamme (1945- )
Cotton
366 x 72/76 cm (each)
Donation from Mrs Carole Simard-Laflamme
MMAQ 2009.6.2-7
Photo: Carole Simard-Laflamme

According to Carole Simard-Laflamme, the series « Longue durée » symbolises time in its diverse forms. In her choice of colour and composition, she has been inspired by the works of different Canadian artists, in particular Maurice Cullen, Marc-Aurèle Fortin, Paul-Émile Borduas and Rita Letendre. The textiles have been created by the traditional weaving technique ‘la lirette’. Like all weaving, ‘la lirette’ consists of the crisscrossing of threads in warp and weft. Its distinction, however, is that the weft is constructed from fine bands if fabric. It was the concern of recycling that inspired the birth of this technique which can be found in various cultures and regions around the world. Used fabrics are cut up to create a new textile, called ‘la catalogne’ in Québec, which is often used to produce rugs. However, the artist intended these works to be placed on the wall in the same manner as tapestries.

     Cup and saucer with yellow handle, 1999
Sculpture
Lépold L. Foulem (1945- )
Ceramic, coating, marble, wood, metal, paint, glue
14.5 x 21 x 18 cm
Donation from Monsieur Léopold L. Foulem
MMAQ 2009.7.1-2
Photo: Roosa Rönkä