Often labeled the "father" of impressionism in Canada, Maurice Galbraith Cullen influenced the work of many great Canadian artists with his adaptation of French impressionism applied to Canadian subject matter.

Born in St. John's Newfoundland in 1866, his family later moved to Montreal where Cullen developed an interest in sculpture.

Having decided that painting was a better form of expression upon seeing the work of French Impressionists such as Claude Monet, Cullen studied painting in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1888 to 1892. It was there that he met fellow Canadian Impressionist James Wilson Morrice.

After exhibiting at the French Salon in 1894 and becoming an associate of the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Cullen returned to Montreal in 1895 where he commenced painting both urban and rural landscapes in the province of Quebec. By 1897 he was exhibiting with the RCA and the AAM, and in 1907 Cullen was made a full member of the RCA.

After having had a number of successful shows at the Watson galleries in Montreal, Cullen passed away in 1934 at the age of 68. Throughout his career Cullen showed an interest in portraying the winter season and everyday subject matter of the Canadian landscape, and for future Canadian artists such as the Group of Seven, his work showed that it was no longer necessary to paint European themes in order to succeed in the Canadian art market.