Richard Montpetit is a painter from Quebec. In the late 1970s, he developed an impressionist style, beginning with landscapes and gradually expanding his subjects, particularly during numerous stays abroad (Mexico, France, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, and the Dominican Republic). During this period, he adopted small formats and sketch-like compositions, where subtle color nuances and the precision of light capture the essence of the moment.
The street increasingly became his preferred subject. His compositions reflect a contemporary urban reality. Always fascinated by light and its variations through the seasons, both day and night, he explores the effects of different light sources—car headlights, street lamps, illuminated shop windows, and neon signs. These visual elements immerse the viewer in the atmosphere of a specific moment.
His paintings often depict a meandering through the streets of Montreal, where anonymous, enigmatic figures quietly traverse the seasons. Montpetit continued to travel and paint in France, Cuba, Croatia, Malta, Martinique, and later in Provence (2016) and Venice (2018).
Across this varied body of work—whether landscapes or urban scenes, in Montreal or abroad—his art remains deeply rooted in the study of light. It speaks of everyday life, solitude, presence, and the passage of time.
“In essence, I am a traveler. No matter where I am, I observe with a certain nostalgia, as if looking at old photographs—everything becomes clear, and I truly see. Of course, I paint light, but studying light means watching time pass—through days and nights, across seasons. In a way, my subject is time: time passing in our lives, time I wish to capture, or at least remember when the magic was present, and to express that I was there.”
In recent years, his search for light has led him to focus first on the moment—dawn, for example. His daily walks through the surrounding countryside inspire him constantly. Whether it’s the beauty of the scene, his state of mind, or a heightened sense of observation, he finds compositions everywhere—in endless variations.
Since 1979, Richard Montpetit has presented more than 37 solo exhibitions, including a retrospective at the Musée Marc-Aurèle Fortin in 1987. His work is permanently represented by galleries across Canada and is included in numerous public and private collections.
Collections include:
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Confederation Life Insurance Co.
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Nova Corporation
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City of Sherbrooke
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Power Corporation
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Nortel Networks
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PAL Insurance Company
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IBM Canada
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Bombardier
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Mercantile Bank
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Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
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Domtar
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Bank of Montreal
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Imperial Bank of Commerce
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Videotron
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Provigo
