Sold for: $40,950

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Toronto

LITERATURE
Marius Barbeau, Cornelius Krieghoff, Pioneer Painter of North America, 1934, page 93

Cornelius Krieghoff had great admiration for the self-sufficient nature of the French Canadian habitants, descended from rural French settlers, and their lives were an important subject in his oeuvre. Early in his career, through his wife Louise, Krieghoff gained entry into the bosom of French-Canadian life in Longueuil, and he fit in well with this warm and fun-loving society for, as an acquaintance recounted, he was “jolly, vivacious, full of life, fond of sports and of the country.” This is a fine record of a habitant man traversing a snowy landscape featuring upthrust slabs of ice – a picturesque scene illuminated with the crisp light of a sunny winter’s day, with Quebec City’s citadel in the background. Krieghoff included traditional, colourful elements of winter dress such as the red toque, moccasins and a fine multi-hued ceinture flechée or sash. He has captured a vibrant character through his fine rendering of the man’s face, detailed with bushy eyebrows and side-whiskers – his expression clearly visible – conveying a man weathered by elements and time, but possessing the hardiness of the pioneer.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars