Marc-Aurèle Fortin

Fortin studied at the Art Institute of Chicago before returning to his native Sainte-Rose on the Rivière des Mille-Îles. Exploring the countryside on a bicycle with his easel on his back, he developed an iconic visual style featuring towering, lush green elm trees framing vivid blue skies.

Fortin innovated with pure watercolor, black-surfaced canvas techniques, and etching, capturing the vibrant working-class port of Montreal and the rolling hills of Charlevoix. Despite going blind and losing both legs to diabetes late in life, his canvases remain among the most beloved in Quebec art history.