A Life Rooted in Québec
Edmond LeMoine lived much of his life within the familiar streets of Québec. Born on October 28, 1877, he was the son of Édouard LeMoine and Victoria Buies. His family connections were deeply tied to the local community, with his uncle being the journalist Arthur Buies. This sense of place stayed with him throughout his years as a painter, illustrator, and teacher.
His early training began under Charles Huot, a period that lasted from 1894 to 1898. During these formative years, he helped establish the Société des artistes de Québec alongside several other artists. This group would later become known as the Society of Arts, Sciences and Literature.
LeMoine eventually sought broader horizons beyond his home province. He traveled to Belgium between 1898 and 1900 to study at the Anvers Academy of Fine Arts and worked in the studio of Julien de Vriendt, where he earned a first academic prize. Later, his travels took him to Paris to study at the Académie Colarossi from 1913 to 1914, as well as through Italy.
The Work and the Classroom
As an artist, LeMoine focused on landscapes, portraits, genre painting, and religious subjects. His hands moved between oil on canvas, charcoal on paper, and various sketches. Some of his known works include:
- The Communicant, 1902
- Type, 1912
- Still-life, 1914
- Pêcheur, created between 1900 and 1920
- Portrait of a Boy
Beyond his own studio, he shared his knowledge with others. From 1914 onward, he served as a teacher at the Québec Academy of Fine Arts, which later became the École des beaux-arts de Québec. He taught drawing and painting, passing on the techniques he had gathered from his time in Europe.
His presence in the local art scene was marked by regular appearances at the Salon of the Art Association of Montreal between 1908 and 1917. He also exhibited at the Académie commerciale de Québec in 1920. Even after his death in 1922, his work continued to be seen through exhibitions organized by his wife, Hortense Charlebois.
A Lasting Presence in Collections
The physical traces of LeMoine's life and art remain held in several important institutions. His paintings and drawings are found within the collections of the Québec National Museum of Fine Arts, the Ottawa Museum of Fine Arts, and the Musée de la civilisation. These archives hold much of what remains of his creative output.
In Québec City, two plaques mark the places where he once lived, located at 21 rue des Remparts and 172 rue Aberdeen. These small markers serve as quiet reminders of a man whose life was so closely woven into the fabric of the city.
