These two exquisite Montreal pastels are particularly evocative examples of Joseph Plaskett's work in the medium of pastel. Plaskett travelled extensively. Pastel, being portable and allowing the artist the immediacy of recording spontaneously the character of a place with it directly in front of him, was an important medium in his oeuvre.

Joe Plaskett was a frequent visitor to Montreal, where he exhibited with our original family art gallery, La Galerie Walter Klinkhoff. In Montreal, he also maintained career-long friendships. Plaskett turned his attention to Old Montreal, including two of its most recognizable landmarks, the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, Montreal, 1970.

In the view of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, Plaskett approaches the historic chapel from the street, allowing its great dome to dominate the composition.

The companion work presents the Bonsecours Market from a dramatically different perspective. Here, Plaskett moves close to the building, looking upward toward its distinctive dome and lantern, which rise monumentally against a deep blue sky.

Together, the two works demonstrate the particular affinity between Plaskett and pastel. One is pale, atmospheric and almost ethereal; the other dense, dramatic and richly coloured. In both, the immediacy of pastel allowed a travelling artist to capture not simply the architecture of Montreal, but his experience of encountering the city.