Laurent Amiot was born in Quebec City in 1764, and after a first apprenticeship stayed in Paris for five years, just before the French Revolution, to perfect his artistic training. He returned to his hometown in the spring of 1787, acquainted with the latest European stylistic trends, mastering the art of composition and possessing a solid technique. He opened a workshop in the Old City the following year, inaugurating a fruitful practice that spans five decades. This illustrated catalogue, containing some 80 works on display, is published on the occasion of the presentation of the first retrospective devoted to the artist. Three chapters highlight the fundamental role of Amiot's contribution to the development of art in Canada. The first two scrutinise his training, his practice, the operation of the workshop, the role of the collaborators and relationships with patrons. The third analyses the work, trying to advance knowledge of the society in which it blossomed. AUTHOR: Rene Villeneuve is a historian of art and architecture, and is the creator responsible for the collections of early Canadian art at the National Gallery of Canada since 1987. 190 images
