Sold for: $23,750

PROVENANCE
Stevens Art Gallery, Montreal
Private Estate, Halifax
Sold sale of Important Canadian Art, Sotheby's Canada in association with Ritchie's, November 21, 2005, lot 40, titled as St. Hilaire
Property from an Important Private Collection to Benefit a Charitable Foundation

Robert Pilot’s dedication to Impressionism and its emphasis on atmosphere made him keenly observant of the soft light he found in Montreal, Quebec City and the Laurentians. In this work, he deftly captured the cool beauty of winter. His treatment of snow is exquisite – pastel tones accentuate the white and define the churned and trodden pathways, and luminous blue shadows cast by snowbanks and buildings provide contrast. The predominantly pale palette is enlivened by Pilot’s use of gold, blue and orange in the buildings, as well as the orange of the sleigh. In portraying cities and towns, Pilot chose to exclude the modern, and here we are pulled back to a more peaceful time when the horse and sleigh was still used for transportation. Pilot was also interested in traditional architecture, and he included the church in the background with its striking spire rising above the houses, its verticality echoed by the tall tree in the foreground. With his sensitivity to the mood and unique elements of this archetypical Quebec community, Pilot captured the essential poetry of this winter scene.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars