Rosaire Audet

Rosaire Audet, Sculptor. Wood carver. Painter. Loretteville, Quebec. Active mid-20th century.

Rosaire Audet began carving in the late 1930’s and opened his ‘atelier’ and studio in 1939; making smaller painted carvings of Quebec people and ‘characters’ which were sold along the highways and in tourist galleries and shops in the Quebec City and Saint-Jean-Port-Joli area. He was also known for his well sculpted applied relief carvings, many with finely painted background scenes. The relief carvings would have carved and painted animals and wild birds applied on the painted background. Usually fairly small, they were often charming, attractive and captivating. Many were simple country-side scenes painted on slices of wood cut from Birch or Poplar trees. Local people in the area became involved in the studio and also made these painted and carved pieces. After he died ,suddenly, in 1947, his studio survived for some years through the work of these other self-taught artists. Audet carvings were signed by hand in script in the early years then typically signed with a stamp saying ‘Rosaire Audet’ and later simply: ‘Audet’. (Below are a few examples by him and by his studio.)

See the link below for a history of M. Audet in a publication published by the ‘Haute-Saint-Charles’ Historical Society. In the French language, Rosaire Audet’s  entry starts on page 14. *

http://www.societe-hst-hstc.ca/fs/Bulletins/csabo-V_10_No1_automne_2013.pdf

* From information provided by Charles Breton-Demeules.

Three Early ‘Slab’ Paintings. Rosaire Audet mark:

Mark with a stamp on the reverse:

 

Applied Relief from the Audet Studio workshop:

The Mark with a stamp on the reverse:

 

Rosaire Audet. Carved Figures:

 

Rosaire Audet Applied Relief carving of a Deer:

The reverse with his mark:

 

An example of his mark in script: