Riopelle Around the World: 21 Galleries and Museums to Explore on Your Next Art Adventure

1. National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, Ontario)

The National Gallery of Canada, located in Ottawa (conveniently close to the Mint!) is home to 16 Riopelle artworks including the magnificent Hommage aux Nymphéas – Pavane (1954, oil on canvas, 300 x 550.2 cm, triptych). If you’re in town, be sure to check out the museum’s upcoming exhibit, Riopelle: Crossroads in Time, running from October 27, 2023 to April 7, 2024 in honour of the 100^th anniversary of Riopelle’s birth.

2. Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (Québec City, Québec)

Of the 114 Riopelle artworks housed in public collections in Quebec, 35 of them are located at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. Riopelle’s masterpiece, L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg (1992, mixed techniques on canvas, 1.52 x 40 m, triptych), is on full display here (check out Panel 29 to see the artwork featured on our newest commemorative circulation coin). Another masterpiece to see at the museum is Poussière de soleil, a mosaic from the 1950s (1953 -1954, oil on canvas, 270 x 345 cm).

3. Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (Montréal, Québec)

Adding a significant number of Riopelle pieces to Quebec’s collection, the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal contains 32 of his artworks, while the nearby Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal houses 17. If you visit Montreal, be sure to explore Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, a public square dedicated to the artist in the city he was born in—and the current home of his largest sculpture, La Joute (cast around 1974).

4. Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, Ontario)

A total of 51 Riopelle artworks can be found throughout Ontario, and nine of those are housed at Toronto’s AGO. The museum hosted an exhibit in 2018, Mitchell/Riopelle: Nothing in Moderation, which explored the distinctive art styles of Riopelle and his former companion, Joan Mitchell, through 50 selected works from both artists. The exhibition was developed by the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and organized in partnership with the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Canada is the place to experience Riopelle’s artwork, with our public collections containing 186 pieces out of the 400+ pieces found in public collections worldwide. While the majority of these works are located in Quebec and Ontario, there are many other pieces to be found throughout the rest of the country, in almost every province. Some of the 21 remaining Riopelle artworks in Canada can be found at various art galleries and museums such as:

5. Vancouver Art Gallery (Vancouver, British Columbia)

6. Art Gallery of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta)

7. Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

8. Winnipeg Art Gallery (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

9. Mackenzie Art Gallery (Regina, Saskatchewan)

10. Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Fredericton, New Brunswick)

11. The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery (St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador)

12. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, California)

Our neighbours to the south have their fair share of Riopelle artworks, too. You can find 28 of his pieces throughout the country, including at the Los Angeles Museum of Art—the largest art museum in the Western United States.

13. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Washington, D.C.)

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, part of the Smithsonian institution, is located in Washington D.C. on the National Mall. 15 artworks by Riopelle can be found here (the most of any public collection in the United States), and better yet: admission to the museum is free!

14. Guggenheim Museum (New York City, New York)

Guggenheim Museums can be found in cultural hubs all around the world: New York City, Bilboa, Venice, and Berlin, just to name a few. Three of Riopelle’s artworks can be found at the original Guggenheim Museum, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. A quick subway ride takes you to the Museum of Modern Art, which has one Riopelle work in their collection.

15. Centre Pompidou (Paris, France)

Of all the European countries, France ranks the highest with 21 Riopelle artworks—not surprising considering the amount of time he spent there. Seven of his pieces can be found at the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou in Paris, including Chevreuse (1954, oil on canvas, 300 x 390 cm), Feu vert (1960, watercolour and ink on marouflaged paper,185 x 425 cm) and Mitchikanabikong (1975, oil on canvas, 195 x 130.5 cm, x 3, triptyque).

16. Tate Gallery (London, England)

Though France has Europe’s share of Riopelle artworks, there are many more to be found across the continent (there are at least 53 Riopelle pieces in European museums). Notably, the Tate Gallery in London houses at least two of Riopelle’s works, including Perspectives (1956, oil on canvas) and Trellis (1952, watercolour on paper). Bonus: admission is free here, too!

There are many more Riopelle artworks to discover beyond Canada, the United States, and Europe. Here are some of the far-reaching locations Riopelle’s art has travelled, and where you can find them today:

17. Ohara Museum (Okayama, Japan)

Japan is home to three Riopelle artworks, scattered across the country.

18. Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia) 

Australia has two Riopelle pieces in their public collections.

19. The Israel Museum (Jerusalem, Israel)

One Riopelle artwork can be found at this museum.

20. Museo Rufino Tamayo (Mexico City, Mexico)

One Riopelle mosaic is housed here, Composition No. 29 (1968, acrylic on canvas).

21. Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (Tehran, Iran)

Here, you can find a Riopelle masterpiece: Baubesse 2 (1956, oil on canvas, 204 x 220 cm).

The ‘Riopelle100’ mark, created by Raphaël Melançon, appears on the coin courtesy of the Riopelle Foundation, in collaboration with which the coin was created.

Panel 29 of L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, 1992, acrylic and spray paint on canvas. Triptych, 1.55 m in height x 40.39 m in length. © Estate of Jean Paul Riopelle / Copyright Visual Arts - CARCC (2023).