Jean-Philippe Dallaire(9 June 1916 – 27 November 1965) is best known for his festive paintings populated by strange and macabre people. In his work, the real and the imaginary intermingle in a world of form and colour. Critics have described Dallaire as a man who lived in an air of mystery “ in a private world with his own landscape and climate, its architecture and its people.”  Dallaire was a representational painter despite an interest for abstraction. He played a leading role as a precursor in the return of figure painting in Canada at the end of the 60’s.He started drawing at the age of eleven. Although he attended art classes in various cities, including Toronto, Boston, and Montreal, he was mostly self-taught. In October 1938, with a stipend from the Québec government, Dallaire traveled to Paris to attend the Atelier d'art sacré, and the Lhote studio. He also worked in his own studio in Montmartre. In France, he became familiar with the work of Picasso, the surrealists and the Canadian artist, Alfred Pellan. The works from this period are characterized by their strong architectural motifs and flattened planes.

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