Mosaic of Female Nudes

A leader in Montreal’s Montée Saint-Michel group of painters, Ernest Aubin was already an accomplished artist when he began these studies of nudes, put together in the style of a mosaic. The careful selection of poses enabled the figures to be fit around each other, lending the work a cohesive, effortless appearance. The use of charcoal and a coloured paper in this work allow a play of contrasts, as well as skilfully and effectively harmonize the whole composition. The figures cover the entire surface of the sheet, a characteristic of Aubin’s academic nudes.