John Little
Rue Panet, Montreal, 1980
1928 -
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 in
61 x 76.2 cm
61 x 76.2 cm
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Further images
Inscriptions
signed, 'JOHN / LITTLE' (lower right); inscribed, signed and dated, 'RUE PANET d'autrefois MONTREAL JOHN LITTLE '80' (verso, upper horizontal stretcher)Provenance
Galerie Walter Klinkhoff Inc., Montreal.
Private collection, Montreal.
By descent to the present Private collection, Santiago, Chile.
Over the years, rue Panet has provided Little with a considerable amount of great material to paint. It is situated in what is today referred to as the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal, only a little bit east (technically north-east) of what one might call the 'downtown core'. It runs between René-Lévesque around the Radio-Canada Tower up to Sherbrooke Street at Lafontaine Park. The “bottom” of the street beginning quite close to the port suggests that it has its roots in blue collar residents. We have written elsewhere about Little’s foresight to paint what is known as then a 25-acre neighbourhood of Faubourg à m'lasse: 5000 people removed for the demolition to make way for the Radio-Canada, CBC tower and surrounding parking lots and what is the #720 expressway. These developments changed the complexion of the neighbourhood physically as well as the nature of its citizens. Rue Panet is geographically today part of what is known as Montreal’s Gay Village.
As an aside, according to the City of Montreal, the name Panet was designated to the street at the beginning of the 19th Century. Although there have been numerous families named Panet who had lived on the street, it is unresolved as to whom precisely the street is named after.
As an aside, according to the City of Montreal, the name Panet was designated to the street at the beginning of the 19th Century. Although there have been numerous families named Panet who had lived on the street, it is unresolved as to whom precisely the street is named after.
