Hooked Rug – George Edward Trembley – 1950’s

A very fine ornamental hooked rug by Georges Edouard Tremblay from Baie-St.-Paul in Charlevoix County, Quebec. Made in  the 1950’s; the scene is a cabin in winter. It is mounted in a period Elm wood frame made by the Thibault company from St Therese, Quebec. A rare mat; the colors are in original condition with virtually no fading.

Georges Tremblay (1902-1987) was a painter and designed and made hokked rugs. He was known for his landscapes of Charlevoix County (in watercolor and later acrylics) and the ornamental hooked rugs he made from these images. He originally made designs and patterns for hooking mats and in 1931 opened a school in Pointe-au-Pic, near Baie-St.-Paul where by 1940 he had taught some 300 students to hook rugs. Most were of his design and used his patterns.

There is some confusion over the various signatures on these hooked mats. A rug with G.E.T. in the lower left or right corner only, can be assumed to have been one that was made by Mr. Tremblay. G.E.T. in one corner and other, different, initials in the other is one made by a student under his direction (C.T. is Claire Thibault, for example and IDA is Ida Harvey). Some mats are found with G.T. only and these were made by other rug hookers; not by Mr. Tremblay.

I have always wished to find a painting by Tremblay and pair it with a rug made by him from a pattern of that painting. The closest I have come is a painting of his with the consignment of the right to reproduce it to Ida Harvey written on the back in his hand. It would be great fun.