To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the death of master stained glassmaker and painter Guido Nincheri, Montreal’s Château Dufresne has created a new exhibit – titled Nincheri. From the Secular to the Sacred. – that brings together 40 original works by the Florentine artist. The works include drawings, watercolors, studies and sketches that showcase Nincheri’s first designs for the stained glass windows, frescoes and mounted canvases he created for countless churches in Quebec, Canada and New England.
“We wanted to commemorate this moment, this anniversary. The Château Dufresne is one of last spaces where his work is preserved. This exhibit highlights the work he did for the Château, his connection to the Dufresne family, and his work for the churches,” explains Director General Manon Lapointe.
The exhibit also features a new digital tour of the Château itself, with a focus on commissioned works done at the request of the original owners. This particular commission – which Nincheri took more than 18 years to complete, from the early 1920s to 1940 – was a refreshing change for Nincheri.
In a letter he wrote to Camille Mancini, Nincheri expressed his gratitude to the artistic liberty the Dufresne commission allowed him.
“Only in two places was I able to let my fantasy and my imagination run free, to draw from poetry and human beauty. The Château Dufresne, located at the corner of Sherbrook and Pie IX Boulevard, is one of these two places,” Nincheri wrote.
The exhibit concludes with a short video presentation that delivers a detailed overview of Nincheri’s contribution to religious and sacred art.
Guido Nincheri is one of the most influential and most prolific stained glass Canadian artists of his time. Born in 1885 in Prato, Italy, he studied art in Florence before immigrating to Montreal in 1913. During his long career, Nincheri produced thousands of stained glass windows and frescoes for over 100 churches. He also designed a number of churches, including St. Anthony of Padua in Ottawa and Madonna della Difesa Church in Montreal, which is famous for its fresco depicting Benito Mussolini on horseback among a group of the faithful.
Not only was Nincheri one of the most sought-after stained glass window makers in North America, he also brought to the continent the technique of fresco painting, earning him the nickname of “Michelangelo of Canada.” Nincheri died in 1973.
Château Dufresne is both a museum and a Historical Heritage Site. Since 1999, the Château has been open to the public as a museum and event space, under the administration of the Société du Château Dufresne. The original occupants of the mansion were brothers Oscar and Marius Dufresne, two prominent middle-class entrepreneurs of early 20th century Montreal. Each brother had his own residence within the mansion. The Dufresne family lived in the mansion until 1948.
Nicheri’s personal studio space was just a short walk down from the Château at 1832 Pie-IX Boulevard. In 2013, the museum purchased the studio and its contents. The studio is currently under renovations and slated to re-open in 2024.
Nincheri. From the Secular to the Sacred (Nincheri. Du profane au sacré. in French) runs until June 30, 2024. To learn more about the exhibit, please visit chateaudufresne.com.
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