CA-K173Culture & sport

Paul-Émile Borduas and Refus global

Paul-Émile Borduas in 1946, photographed by Ronny Jaques. Paul Borduas · Ronny Jaques (1910-2008) · Photo source · Photo licence: Public domain. Resized for display; item previews may be cropped. The image remains under the licence shown.

Factual accuracy review: No recorded challenge

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Paul-Émile Borduas (1905–1960) was a pioneer of abstract art in Canada and the creator of automatism, an avant-garde movement at the forefront of gestural abstraction in Quebec in the 1940s. He was the main author of Refus global, published in 1948 and co-signed by other artists, which made him a key figure in 20th-century Quebec history.

Scope & context

His artistic and historical significance, not individual works or the other signatories.

Sources behind this record

Paul-Émile Borduas (1905-1960) National Historic Person ↗

Parks Canada

Historical importance; plaque text