A textured, abstract sculpture stands on a round stone base. The sculpture features irregular, jagged forms with a mix of gray and white colors, creating a dynamic, three-dimensional appearance. It has a layered top that resembles ruffled edges, with figures extending in various directions. The background is softly blurred, emphasizing the artwork.

Jacques Huet, Arc de Triomphe, 1967. Aluminum. SFU Art Collection. Gift of Jacqueline Brien, 1999.

A textured, abstract sculpture stands on a round stone base. The sculpture features irregular, jagged forms with a mix of gray and white colors, creating a dynamic, three-dimensional appearance. It has a layered top that resembles ruffled edges, with figures extending in various directions. The background is softly blurred, emphasizing the artwork.

Title

Arc de Triomphe

Artist

Jacques Huet

Year

1967

Medium

Aluminum

Collection

SFU Art Collection

Donor

Gift of Jacqueline Brien

Year Acquired

1999

The modular and abstracted aluminum form of Arc de Triomphe, sited in the Academic Quadrangle’s east plaza, suggests a rendering of a rider atop their horse. The title of Jacques Huet’s sculpture directly references the low relief carvings featured at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, built to commemorate both the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Huet’s work may also pay homage to the tradition of equestrian statuary monumentalizing important figures.

Artists

Huet (1932–2009) was a self-taught Montreal sculptor who worked in wood, aluminum, bronze and plexiglass. Over the course of his career he participated in many exhibitions and produced public works for sites including Orford Arts Centre, Ministère des Travaux Publics du Québec, Henri-Bourassa subway station in Montreal, Centre hospitalier Côte-des-Neiges in Montreal, and Maison des Arts de Laval.