Places of the heart

🔍 The Leduc family house in Saint-Hilaire

A creative environment

The village of Saint-Hilaire and its mountain have always been a constant source of inspiration for Ozias Leduc. His work reflects the rural environment of his village and the social climate of his time. From early childhood, he learns the names and history of places that surround him: the paths to the cedar forest and the lime kilns, Sugarloaf, the Fairies' grotto, the Iron Doors. He becomes fascinated by natural sciences such as geology and botany. In a sense, it’s a way for him to better understand and tame nature.

Leduc was raised on his father's orchard and from a very young age knew about the hard work of an apple grower. He eventually inherited the family farm. From this contact with the land grew his love of nature and the authenticity of his art.

Certain elements are recurrent in the landscapes of Leduc, trees in particular, whether dominant or discreet, most of the time in groups or as part of a forest. Trees are symbols whose tall shapes represent spiritual momentum. They become emblems of the cosmos, of immortality as well as a metaphor for the vertical axis by which three worlds are connected: heaven, earth and hell.

Water is also an important element in the artist's imagination. Sometimes his paintings' backgrounds are animated with sinuous movements which represent the air that materializes and vibrates in harmony with the scene's energy.

As he interprets the mountain's peaceful moments, Leduc projects his personal views of nature into his work. For him, a mountain top constitutes a place of contact with the divine.

In his landscapes, Leduc seeks an ideal of beauty through its shapes, colors and compositions. His depiction of nature and of religious themes share the common goal of spiritual education through art. Since nature is imbued with spirituality, its contemplation leads to meditation.

I never copy nature on location. I know it by heart: the appearance of trees come to me as soon as they are named... then my hand draws them by itself. - Ozias Leduc