Canadian Heritage

Historical Vignettes

Claude Picard: Creator of Emotions

The process hidden behind each historical work is not at all restful. It includes intensive brainstorming, historical research, and constant validation with historians, a sketch of the whole painting, as well as multiple characters' sketches - primary and secondary ones, the setting in the middle ground and finally, the variation of expressions and body movements "to bring as much life as possible and set the characters in motion."10

When asked about his finest projects, he first underlines the portraits he made of his daughters, Brigitte and Lucie, whom we see grow up in his paintings. Next are the historial scenes of 'our people' - Madawaskayans and Acadians, and the Manger project for the Cathedral reintroducing the Birth of Jesus to the Present. When asked about the Art Periods which inspired him the most, he answered, "As an artist, the Classical, Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-Classical, and Post-Impressionism Eras attracted me the most."11