Jean-Paul Riopelle was born on this day, October 7, in 1923. Riopelle was arguably one of the most important Canadian artists of the 20th century, establishing his reputation in the burgeoning postwar art scene of Paris, where his entourage included André Breton, Sam Francis and Samuel Beckett. Riopelle produced over six thousand works during the course of his lifetime. He was born and studied in Montreal but moved to Paris in the 1940s, spending more time back in Canada by the end of the 60s. In 1969 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, an honor he shares with Mr. Karsh.