La décoration intérieure de l’église Saint-Romuald de Farnham peinte par Ozias Leduc (1905-1912)
The present master’s paper analyses, from iconographic and formal points of view, the interior decoration of the church Saint-Romuald of Farnham, painted by Ozias Leduc between 1905 and 1912. This program, ordered by the parish priest Joseph-Magloire Laflamme, allows a transition between two important periods in Leduc’s career: the decoration of the church of Saint-Hilaire (1896-1900) and his great symbolic landscapes (1913-1921). During the fulfilment of this commissioned work, a gradual change occurs in the thought and in the style of the painter which is studied efficaciously in regards to the three periods of his artistic production at Saint-Romuald: 1905-1907, 1909-1910 and 1911-1912. That chronology appears in the correspondence concerning the program’s realization. It is also illustrated by the development, at Saint-Romuald, of the artist’s ideology and of his technique, about which we will briefly discuss in the present master. Even though Leduc is not the sole responsible of the decor, he refers, more than once, to his historical context and he unifies the entire decoration so that the paintings, the architecture of the church, the color of the walls, the frames, the decorative motifs and the symbols create a whole. The study of each work of art, within these parameters, will allow identifying the theme, namely the institution of the Catholic religion, and the sub-theme, the education. This iconographic program as well as several other links existing between those paintings serve as a vehicle for Leduc’s cherished ideals, which he will continue to convey in his subsequent other religious decorations. Moreover, in order to begin to follow the development of the artist’s style, it is essential to notify the paintings’ state of preservation. Several of them were partially or completely painted over in 1952. Despite these repaints, as we will briefly establish, the style of Leduc, influenced by symbolism, is still very present. The iconographic and stylistic analysis will allow to place the decoration in the artist’s complete works.
Ozias Leduc Joseph-Magloire Laflamme Restauration Joseph-Magloire Laflamme Quebec religious art Murals Iconography Symbolism Restoration