Louis Muhlstock

About the Drawing

This original 1960 pastel drawing features a seated nude female figure, demonstrating Louis Muhlstock's mastery of the human form and his sensitive approach to figurative work. Created during a period when Muhlstock's work was widely exhibited across Canada, the drawing showcases his refined technique developed through decades of study and practice. The pastel medium allows for subtle gradations of tone and color, characteristic of Muhlstock's approach to capturing the human figure with both technical precision and emotional depth.

About the Artist

Louis Muhlstock (April 23, 1904, Narajow, Austria-Hungary – August 26, 2001, Montréal) was a Jewish Canadian artist, draftsman, and painter, best known for his evocative depictions of the Great Depression and his sensitive figure studies. After immigrating to Montréal in 1911, he worked in his family's fruit-importing business while pursuing his passion for art, studying at night at the Monument National and the Art Association of Montreal (now the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts). His talent quickly gained recognition, and in 1925, he participated in his first exhibition at the Royal Canadian Academy.

In 1928, Muhlstock moved to Paris, where he spent three years refining his skills under figure painter Louis Biloul at the École des beaux-arts and sketching at l'Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Montparnasse. This prestigious private art school had previously nurtured artists such as Amedeo Modigliani and Jean-Paul Riopelle. During his time in Paris, Muhlstock exhibited his work at various salons before returning to Montréal in 1931, where he established his own studio and began teaching drawing.

Deeply attuned to the social realities of his time, Muhlstock created sensitive chalk and charcoal sketches of unemployed men in Fletcher's Field during the Depression. During World War II, he documented shipyard workers in Montréal. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, his work was widely exhibited, including solo shows at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Waddington Galleries. By the 1970s, his artistic style evolved towards abstraction.

Recognition and Legacy

Muhlstock was an esteemed member of several artistic organizations, including the Canadian Society of Graphic Artists, the Canadian Group of Painters, the Contemporary Arts Society, and the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour. His contributions to Canadian art earned him numerous honors, including being named an Officer of the Order of Canada (1991) and a Knight of the National Order of Québec (1998). He was also a key figure in the Jewish Painters of Montreal, a collective whose works have been displayed in galleries across Canada. Until his final days, Muhlstock remained dedicated to painting, describing his art as "a moment in time only."

Technical Details

Artist: Louis Muhlstock (1904-2001)
Date: 1960
Medium: Pastel on paper
Signature: Signed and dated 1960
Condition: Very good condition
Dimensions: 63.5 x 48.5 cm / 25 x 19 in (sheet)
Frame: 80 x 62 cm / 31½ x 24½ in, very good condition
Origin: Canada
Sources: The Canadian Encyclopedia; National Gallery of Canada; Trépanier, Esther. Jewish Painters of Montreal: Witnesses of their Time 1930-1948

A distinguished work by an Officer of the Order of Canada and key figure in Canadian modernism.