In 1933, an inheritance from his father enabled Marc-Aurèle Fortin to fulfill his dream of a voyage to Europe. He departed in December of that year, and for five months he traveled throughout France and into northern Italy. He returned to Montreal full of enthusiasm from this experience, but firmly resolved to follow his own path rather than European modernist movements. This striking scene of a canal winding through Venice’s distinctive buildings showcases Fortin’s characteristic dazzling colour and vigorous brushwork, and it is an outstanding example of his adept techniques in constructing his paintings. After applying a background of black paint, Fortin sketched in the elements of his image with fluid strokes of bright pigment. Light is created by white tones in the canal and on the houses, contrasted with a dark sky of cobalt lightening to turquoise. The illusion of the boats floating on the water and the sensation of the canal’s gentle eddies are both expertly handled. Paysage à Venise, Canal is a work of vibrant sensuality, resonant with the atmosphere of this historic city.