Skilfully handling the art of oil painting, following in the footsteps of Vermeer and other great painters of past centuries, Stéphane Poulin has raised children’s illustration to a higher level. Since his beginnings in the 1980s, he has continued to refine his brushstrokes, working meticulously on every detail, every twig, every star set in the firmament. These days, he is releasing not one, but two albums with great possibilities.
On one side, the world of corsairs and life on the high seas. On the other, the poetic story of two rabbits who contribute to embellishing the course of the days. In both cases, thanks to his realistic line embroidered with poetry, Poulin manages to create atmospheres as different as the coldness of the hold of a boat and the calm of a pond lulled by the gentle summer wind.
Written by Jean Leroy, The Captain’s Secret (Pastel) depicts a little orphan, Valia, foam aboard theIntrepid, “the famous ship of the no less famous corsair Basil the Brave”. A brave captain who notably succeeded in defeating the legendary Kraken. But one night, a fire breaks out on the boat, forcing the crew to flee. Making sure that all the sailors are safe, Basile launches into the flames under the dumbfounded eyes of the sailors. That’s all it takes for little Valia to climb the ladder and rescue her captain. The short text, punctuated by short sentences and insisting on the action, leaves plenty of room for Poulin’s paintings, most of the time double pages that propel the reader well beyond the words of the author. Poulin’s specialty, if there is one. While Leroy recounts the success of the captain, for example, the illustrator depicts the corsair, from behind, pointing his sword at the plump belly of a pirate who, with atrophied finger, screams in pain. Behind him, four men, hands tied, await their fate. The effect is total. Similarly, when fire forces sailors to leave theIntrepidPoulin opts for a close-up of three men running, surprised by the tragedy: one putting on a shirt, the other a hole in the bottom, and the third tying his pants while a few embers fly above them. .
Added to these effects are the games of perspective and planes that allow us to capture the emotion felt by the characters. In the lead, this view from above on the deck of the boat in flames. Surrounded by a few beams damaged by embers, the hatch reveals the fire threatening the hold. And above all, this little Valia running barefoot, her worried gaze fixed on what we imagine to be the weakened mast of the boat. Everything contributes to extending the scope of the drama that is being played out.
Light at Poulin
Poulin also has this talent for playing with light, for drawing the eye of the image reader where it is needed, as those painters Edward Hopper, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt did before him.
In The painter rabbits written by Simon Priem (Sarbacane), the artist has a perfect subject to use this material. On the edge of a pond “lost at the bottom of a hole of greenery” live two rabbits. One paints during the day, draws “the reflection of the sky on the pond”, while the other is active at dusk, sometimes even succeeding in “painting the breath of night”. It is in this peaceful everyday life that the days slowly pass, until a huge gray cloud settles over the pond, eclipsing the moon and the sun. Embarked aboard a dirigible balloon decorated with the two star stars, the painters embarked on a long journey to discover the source of this greyness.
Poetic and embroidered with hope, although sometimes dense, Priem’s text takes on its full meaning in Poulin’s poetic-realist line. Like the painters who have marked milestones in the history of art, the two artist rabbits are respectively presented in paintings, personalized busts. Again here, Poulin plays with fantasy, embroiders around each one to give it a distinct character. Daytime kid on a blue background haloed with greenery for one, white rabbit on a black background, collarette and wearing a bowler hat adorned with a candle for the other.
The rest of the paintings marry the character of each of the rabbits while winking at the great painters. There is in particular this daytime scene which offers a bird’s eye view of the daytime rabbit. We see the reflection of a white cloud on the pink pond populated by water lilies – just as white – a picture that is reminiscent here of the famous water lilies of Monet. The gaze is instantly directed towards this whiteness.
The nocturnal scenes are just as striking, especially the one in which the night rabbit is presented. Swapping the view from above for a view from the height of the pond, Poulin paints the rabbit stretched out on the pontoon right in the center of the page. All around, the vault is reflected in the deep blue water, small white spots which recall the fur of the rabbit and, at greater range, starry nights by Van Gogh.
Since his beginnings, Stéphane Poulin has always had this fascination for light, this sensitivity to details and the creation of atmospheres. We will remember the now classic Old Thomas and the Little Fairy (Dominique et compagnie) written by Dominique Demers, or by Bartleby the Scribe (Blowpipe) by Melville. Sailing from one subject to another, all the same favoring deep themes that invite discussion, the artist has this greater than anything, which is to never underestimate his readers, to respect the intelligence of children by responding through his art to the demands of this sensitive readership.