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It’s already been 80 years since the publication of “Bonheur d’occasion”, the iconic novel by author Gabrielle Roy!
To mark this significant anniversary and celebrate the deep connection between the book and the Saint-Henri neighborhood, what better way than to bring literature and mural art together in a tribute worthy of this great classic?
Created by artist Rafael Sottolichio, this new mural highlights Saint-Henri’s cultural and industrial past, while evoking the world of Gabrielle Roy and her characters. The mural is located on the walls of the Aubut company, adjacent to the Canadian National (CN) railroad tracks, reminding us that Saint-Henri was one of the places through which the first railroad on the Island of Montreal ran. Even more symbolically, this artwork is located on the other side of the tracks from the “Petit garni,” where Jean Lévesque lives in the novel.
Known for his ability to transform archival photographs into large-scale, realistic paintings, Rafael Sottolichio was the perfect choice for this project, sensitively capturing the essence of the novel through his images and personal interpretation.
This is the 35th mural in our “Montreal’s Cultural Builders” collection, launched in 2010, which celebrates the invaluable contribution of the city’s creators across various artistic disciplines — whether they are native Montrealers or have made the city their home — to the local, national, and international influence of Montreal’s cultural scene.
Muralist assistants: Fanny Labbé, Loïk Asselin-Côté, Alexandra Ross
This project is part of the Mural Art Program by the City of Montreal.
