Sculptor and modeller Jules Lasalle lives and works in Montréal, where he directs the studio Attitude enr. In 1979, he completed a bachelor’s degree in visual arts at the Université du Québec à Montréal. From 1981 to 1983, he undertook a number of sculpture internships in Paris at establishments such as the École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués, Les Ateliers Hervé Cappelli, and the Ministère de la Culture. He has produced a number of other works of public art in Montréal, including Hommage à Marguerite Bourgeoys (1988), on Rue Notre-Dame East, and Monument à Maurice Richard (1997), at the entrance to the eponymous arena.
Artwork description
The monument is situated in the centre of Place du Commerce, near the Montréal Stock Exchange building. It is composed of a concrete base and a polished-black granite pedestal that is split in two vertically through the centre. Inserted into the top of the pedestal is a cast-aluminum bust of Joseph-Xavier Perrault. In front of the monument, an aluminum plaque is installed on a concrete base that is also split vertically, in front of the plaque.
In addition to paying tribute to Perrault, the monument underlines the efforts of those who worked to make business blossom in Montréal in the late nineteenth century.