Quebec artist Claude Théberge, whose oeuvre spanned painting, creating murals, sculpture and stained glass, has died at the age of 73.

Theberge died in a Montreal hospital Thursday after a long illness, according to close friend Gilles Quenneville.

"He was a man of great intellect and spirit," Quenneville said in an interview.

"One of the greatest painters Canada has ever seen," he added. "There was immense talent and spirituality behind his work."

Born in Edmundston, N.B., Théberge grew up in Rivière-Bleue, Que. and studied at l'École des Beaux-Arts de Québec as well as in Paris at l'École Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts and l'École du Musée du Louvre.

For years, he divided his time between Montreal and Paris, while creating art that explored various styles, including abstraction and surrealism. He also held a post as a graphic designer for UNESCO in Paris.

Théberge believed that art should be brought out of the museums and into the streets. One of his initiatives included founding a workshop that worked to integrate art into urban environments.

During his lifetime, Théberge created a host of pieces for public display, including a mural for the main hall of the Quebec legislature and, in Montreal, sculptures at several Métro stations, stained glass pieces for the St-Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Church, a fountain at Viger Park and a concrete mural-sculpture on the Concordia University campus.

His work was also exhibited around the globe and collected both publicly and privately, including by the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art and the Kennedy Collection.

With files from the Canadian Press