La jeune veuve
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Artwork Statement
Les Filles du Roi is the name given to the large group of young women sent from France to Canada in the 17th century as brides of the state. Approximately 800 selected girls, mostly orphans and some widows, were provided with a dowry from Louis XIV to help populate the fledgling colony. On average, they were wed within four to five months of their arrival and would bear 7 to 8 children. These women, often ill-perceived as prostitutes or Filles de joie, helped double the population over the duration of the ten-year migration program (1663-1673). Systematically, a nation was founded on their backs.
The project chronicles their journey referencing the visual language found in heraldry. As an early form of political branding, it denotes personal progeny and royal alliances as well as regional iconography. Each scene was constructed using cardboard cutouts and digital manipulation to create a theatrical three-dimensional coat of arms. The images allude to the Filles du Roi’s social and historical environment but not without incorporating elements from contemporary society, specifically French-Canadian cultural tropes and signifiers.
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Artist Biography
Geneviève Thauvette is a Franco-Ontarian artist currently residing in Toronto. Her photographs have shown internationally, notably at the 17th Japan Media Arts Festival, the Perth International Arts Festival (Australia), the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, and the Vie Jeux de la Francophonie in Beirut were she won the gold medal for Canada. Her works been acquired by the Canadian Museum of History and the City of Ottawa Fine Art Collection. She is a 2013 recipient of the FlashForward emerging artists award and has earned several grants, including a 2011, 2016 and 2017 Artist Production Grant from the Ontario Arts Council and the 2015 and 2017 Artists in the Library grant from the Toronto Arts Council.
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Purchase Details
The prints you receive are archival, photographic prints on a semi-matte paper with a longevity of 100+ years under normal light conditions.
Each print ships with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist, which serves as proof your artwork is a bonafide member of its limited edition. You should keep this in a safe place.
All prices are in American dollars (USD).
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Framing
Canadian customer orders are framed in Toronto; orders from the United States are framed in Ohio. All frames come with D-rings for installation. All orders come with our free downloadable installation guide.
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Shipping
Upon receiving your order, we will send you an order confirmation. Your artwork(s) will be printed and framed to order. Expected lead time is 3-4 weeks. Delays due to COVID-19 are possible and depend on the shipping provider. Feel free to send us an email anytime about your order!