Rang Saint-Laurent, Baie-Saint-Paul 1924

Clarence Gagnon made this painting, Rang Saint-Laurent, Baie-Saint-Paul, using what looks like small strokes of oil paint to build a vista of a snow-covered mountainside. I love the way the paint seems scrubbed into the canvas, creating this tactile surface. Up close, you can almost feel the cold, crisp air of the Canadian winter, see how the texture in the foreground is rougher, almost like the untouched snow. See that dash of red in the lower left, like a bush poking through the snow? It's a small gesture but anchors the whole composition, providing a focal point amidst the expanse of white. This painting reminds me of the work of the Impressionists, like Monet, with its emphasis on capturing a fleeting moment in time. You can also see the influence of Japanese prints in the simplification of forms and the flattened perspective, creating a unique blend of influences in Gagnon’s vision.