Sold for: $31,250

PROVENANCE
R.S. McLaughlin, Oshawa
Private Collection, before 1970
By descent to a Private Collection, USA
Private Collection, USA

LITERATURE
J. Russell Harper, Krieghoff, 1979, page 29

This classic Cornelius Krieghoff winter scene captures the essence of a rural habitant community. Small groups of people gather to talk, enjoy the recreation of skating and continue with their daily chores, such as the man who uses the ice as a pathway to slide his bundle of wood. Krieghoff’s empathy for Quebec’s habitants, with their resourcefulness and geniality, can always be felt in his paintings of them. He was a keen observer of the details of their everyday life, such as the horse and bright red cariole by the foreground house. As Russell Harper wrote, “He portrayed them so graphically and with such appeal that to mention the word ‘habitant’ still conjures up in the popular imagination a people visually based on Krieghoff’s interpretations.”

This painting showcases Kreighoff’s refined European techniques in his depiction of the ice. Its surface is textured by the criss-crossed marks of skates, and its sheen, delicate transparency and variations in colour make it a rich source of visual interest. Scattered chunks of ice, which have a transparent, crystalline quality, and the cool, delicate atmosphere of winter skies add to the effect of this fine winter painting.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars

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