A new, five-storey portrait of René Lévesque is in its final stages of production. According to the René Lévesque Foundation, the aim of the project is to further “anchor” the former premier’s memory in Montreal.
The man holding the brush is Montreal-based muralist Kevin Ledo, who is no stranger to the city’s walls. He is the author of a number of public artworks, such as those featuring Daisy Peterson Sweeney in the Sud-Ouest borough and Leonard Cohen in the Plateau.
Painting a politician, however, is a different experience.
“At first I wasn’t sure,” Ledo said. “But after speaking to a lot of different people, trying to get a sense of who this man was and what he meant to Quebec, at that point I realized it was a good idea for me to try it out.”
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The artist believes murals are an occasion to learn.
“In this case, you can learn about the history of Quebec, who this man was, what he did, what were the conflicts and challenges, and how people feel today about it,” he said.
The mural is located on boulevard Crémazie, and looks over Highway 40. Motorists driving eastbound might be pleased to see the artwork come to life, but Ledo says it is a challenging location to work at.
“There’s lots of noise, there’s the pollution from the highway,” he said. “The most difficult part is being in the sun all day.”
The initiative is a collaboration between the René Lévesque Foundation and MU, a community organization that produces murals around the city. It is funded by the Ministry of the French Language.
The mural is set to be officially inaugurated by the end of the summer.