Mr. Jean-Pierre Valentin
1949 - 2019
The family will receive family and friends at:
Saturday, January 18, 2020 from 2pm to 6pm
The commemoration will take place:
Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 5pm
We regret to announce the passing of Jean-Pierre Valentin on December 27, 2019. He is survived by his partner Émilie Corbeil and her son Ludovik, his mother Geneviève, his sisters Martine and Astrid, his niece Clémence and his nephews Romain, Valentin and Benoit, his in-laws Nicolas, Jonathan and Jean-Luc, as well as several devoted friends.
Born in the Vosges region of France in 1949, he was fascinated by the arts from a young age. After graduating from EDC in Paris, Jean-Pierre began his career as an art broker specializing in painting and engraving. It was on one of his many trips that he fell madly in love with Montreal.
At the young age of 26, he acquired “L’art français” gallery on Laurier Street, thus entering the Canadian art market. After he renamed the gallery in his own name in 1992, he began concentrating his efforts on promoting Canadian art, both historical and contemporary.
Thanks to his undeniable expertise, discriminating taste and great sensitivity, Jean-Pierre established deep bonds of trust with myriad artists, collectors and members of the artistic community. From the profound relationships he developed over the years, many great friendships were born. For Jean-Pierre, the connection between the artist, the work and the collector had to be established patiently, delicately and unquestionably... with passion.
It was with this very passion that he devoted his expertise to various organizations, notably at the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board, thus contributing to the development of culture and the arts. He also chaired the Professional Art Dealers Association of Canada (today ADAC) for several years. An acknowledged expert, several national museums and collectors have retained his services for the evaluation of works or the establishment of major collections.
As Jean-Pierre put it so well, his involvement in the art world was more of an exhilarating treasure hunt than a job. His foresight, his integrity, his generosity and his love of sharing will never be forgotten.
