Bruce LeDain

Bruce LeDain was an outstanding Canadian artist based in Montreal for the majority of his mature artistic career.  Although many LeDain collectors would think of him as synonymous with the landscape, he was equally accomplished when he diverted his interest toward painting the still life.  LeDain’s painting places were diverse. He travelled to many regions across Canada and painted in Western Europe as well.  He exhibited regularly at our original family gallery, Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, where he found a constituency enthusiastic to own his paintings.

Bruce LeDain was born in Montreal but has roots in the Isle of Jersey, from where his Grandmother had immigrated.  When he was just 8 years old, his work was selected for the International Children’s Art Exhibition, U.S.A. When it came time for him to pick a subject to study in his post-secondary career, he chose to study fine art at Sir George Williams University. 

From University, LeDain’s career took off as his work was accepted into the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts spring shows in 1949, 1952 and 1953 respectively. He began working at as a graphic artist for the firm Bomac in 1948 where he met one of his lifelong influences, Lorne Bouchard.  In 1953, he moved to London and spent four years expanding his knowledge and study in the field of graphic arts. He was employed as Art Director with Odhams Press in London in 1953; and later was invited to show samples to one of London’s top advertising agencies at the time, Mather and Crowther.  He then became Art Director for Mather and Crowther’s 135-member Creative Department for three and a half years. This early training as a graphic designer  the abstract patterns and designs one finds in his paintings. 

LeDain returned to Montreal and began exhibiting with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1966.  In both ‘67 and ‘69, he captured first prize for paintings of his that were shown in the Price Fine Arts Awards. The year 1967 turned out to be an important one for LeDain; one of his paintings was, “presented to the former Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson, by the City of Montreal at Expo ‘67.”  In 1984 he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. After serving in a council capacity for several years, in 1991 he was elected as the 25th President of the Academy, the first painter to be elected President in 22 years.

LeDain's solo exhibitions at the Walter Klinkhoff Gallery in Montreal attracted record crowds and consistent sell-outs. He exhibited almost exclusively in Montreal, but his work can be found in multiple private collections throughout Canada, as well as the United States, England, France, Israel, the Netherlands, and Germany.  His work could be found in over seventy-five corporate collections.

Bruce LeDain painting at Schooner Cove, Nova Scotia. Photo by Mike Tanner.