Roland Paradis
Roland Paradis (c. 1696–April 28, 1754) was an important silversmith in New France (now part of Canada).
Paradis was born in Paris to Claude Paradis and Geneviève Cussy. His father was a silversmith, and likely taught his son the trade. Paradis moved to New France sometime before 1728. On February 3 of that year, he married Marie-Angélique Boivin in the church of Notre-Dame de Québec.[1]
He worked as a silversmith for some time in Quebec City, but by June 1736 he is recorded as living and working in Ville-Marie, the older name for Montreal.[1] Paradis continued to work in Montreal until at least 1749.
Paradis produced many silver pieces of religious significance. In 1739, he produced a "ciborium for the Eucharist" for the parish of Saint-Charles-de-Lachenaie. He crafted pieces for the church of Sainte-Anne-de-Varennes in 1742 and for the church of Saint-François-de-Sales in 1745 (in the modern-day Saint-François district of the city of Laval, not to be confused with the Saint-François-de-Sales, Quebec in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean). Paradis stamped his work with the letters "RP" beneath a crown. On April 28, 1754, Paradis died in Montreal.[1]
Examples of Paradis's works are still held by a number of religious institutions as well as by museums and collectors. The Musée du Québec holds a number of his pieces,[1] as does the Royal Ontario Museum.[2]