Paysage Enneigé 

Pierre-Jacques Pelletier made this painting, Paysage Enneigé, using oil on canvas. Pelletier captured a seemingly ordinary winter landscape, but the application of the oil paint imbues the scene with a palpable sense of atmosphere. Consider the texture: thick, deliberate strokes define the snow-laden trees and the path, creating a layered surface that captures the weight and density of the snow. Notice how the artist uses the materiality of the paint to convey the specific, sensory qualities of this place and time. The grey sky is full of clouds, applied with looser brushwork that contrasts the solid trees and evokes the feeling of a cold day. Pelletier’s application of paint is more than descriptive; it’s expressive. The artist engages with the labor of image making as well as the social context of rural life. It is the physical process and skilled manipulation of his materials that truly bring this work to life.