Berthe Simard. Painter. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Petite-Riviere-Saint-Francois, Charlevoix, Quebec. Active mid 20th century.
In the 1930’s Berthe Simard and her sister Marie-Anne were encouraged by Jori Smith and Jean Palardy to develop their talents and become artists. Berthe Simard was a painter and also made painted wood carvings. Her colours were more subtle than her sister Marie-Anne’s but equally strong. Her subjects were the country-side and the sea.
Like Marie-Anne, her sister, she was among the Charlevoix artists featured in the book on Charlevoix painters: Peindre un Pays Where her story is told. She was also in the film: Paintres folklorique de Charlevoix, ( ‘Folk Painters of Charlevoix’ ) made by Jean Palardy.
Ref: http://www.museedecharlevoix.qc.ca/en/history-heritage/folk-art
Ref: Richard Dubé et François Tremblay, Peindre un pays: Charlevoix et ses peintres populaires,
Laprairie: Éditions Broquet, 1989.
