Suzor-Coté

Marc-Aurèle Coté, born into a prominent Quebec family in 1869, became known as the great Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté. His prodigious body of art would become the forerunner of a revolution in painting that swept Quebec in the 1940s. Suzor-Coté, a master painter and sculptor, was inspired by the splendid landscapes of his native Arthabaska.

In 1891, Coté left for Paris and studied at the École des beaux-arts and the Julian and Colarossi studios. The young painter won prestigious awards and enjoyed a bohemian lifestyle. Between 1891 and 1912, he travelled constantly between Europe, Canada and the US.

After returning to Quebec, he began attracting a clientele eager to buy up his art, and also drew glowing reviews from the Montreal and Toronto art critics. Back in his beloved countryside where he had grown up, Suzor-Coté developed a freer and more personal style.

Dramatic re-enactments bring the artist to life, along with insights offered by his contemporaries. We experience Suzor-Coté from his early sketches to his last years, spent in Florida for health reasons. He died there in 1937, far from his beloved brushes. Some subtitles.