Jean-Paul Riopelle, Photographed in His Paris Atelier April 7, 1965

Jean Paul Riopelle (1923–2002) was a founding member of the Automatistes, the revolutionary Montreal-based Abstract Expressionist group. Karsh’s portrait session in Riopelle’s Paris studio yielded a dozen distinct poses. Karsh selected this image, capturing Riopelle bathed in the natural light of the atelier window as if momentarily pausing from his creative work, as the iconic version. His accompanying text amplifies the trope of the artist as a tormented genius: “He will go for weeks, or even months, without lifting a brush. Then, all of a sudden, will come a period of intense, almost frantic activity when art simply explodes in him. He will paint for weeks; he will not eat; he will not sleep; he will cover canvas after canvas with his highly individual, textured interlacings of bright impasto. Only when the compulsive surge has been fulfilled will his creative labours also subside.”

Karsh’s narrative highlights Riopelle’s apparent disregard for being commemorated in a portrait. Just three years earlier, Riopelle was selected as the sole artist representing Canada at the 1962 Venice Biennale, the international showcase for contemporary art. Karsh’s portrait of Riopelle in his studio was selected as an early acquisition for the National Gallery of Canada photographic archive.

Karsh typically photographed artists gazing at the camera, posed next to one of their works, whether painting, sculpture, or textile art. In turn, the artist collaborated by posing for Karsh fully aware of the subsequent mass circulation of a defining image. Karsh’s 1954 portrait of Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), for example, does not depict the artist in the act of creation but as a summative representation of Picasso’s unique talent, immortalizing him with the tangible result of his creative act.

Karsh’s portrait of Riopelle emphasizes a sense of immediacy, as the artist is immersed in his creative work, unconcerned about external praise. Riopelle also arguably resists the expectation of compliance as a portrait sitter as he refuses to meet the camera’s gaze.