Napoléon Bourassa

Napoléon Bourassa

Napoléon Bourassa, sculptor, architect, author, painter (b at L'Acadie, LC 21 Oct 1827; d at Lachenaie, Qué 27 Aug 1916). One of the finest Canadian artists of the 19th century, as is evident from his drawings, portraits and murals, and his architecture, Bourassa was influenced by the French neoclassicist Ingres and by historic painting. His most complete work was for the Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Church, Montréal, though the Montebello Church and the St-Hyacinthe Dominican Convent are also fine examples of his architecture. Other major projects, never completed or now destroyed, included decorative work for the Nazareth Chapel, Montréal, the St-Hyacinthe Cathedral and the Apothéose de Christophe Colomb.

He taught drawing for many years and Louis-Philippe HÉBERT, Olindo Gratton and Édouard Meloche were among his students. His correspondence and lectures are valuable documents deserving publication. He became vice-president of the Canadian Academy of Fine Arts on 6 March 1880.