In the spring of 1936, A.Y. Jackson traveled to Fox River, located in the scenic eastern region of the Gaspé Peninsula, for his customary sketching journey during the transition from winter to spring. The weather proved so turbulent, marked by storms, rain, and dense fog, that Jackson was largely confined to drawing indoors, making this oil sketch a rare product of that trip. Frustrated by the conditions, he wrote in a letter, “It’s been a lousy spring…still don’t know if I am going to get anything worthwhile.” Interestingly, Jacques Cartier, the area’s first recorded visitor over four centuries earlier, had also lamented the region’s harsh climate, describing “a contrary winde, with great fogges and stormes.”

In this work, Jackson captures charming village details: a rowboat resting beside a house, stacks of firewood, and the classic horse-drawn sleigh. A church with a spire reaching skyward anchors the community. His brushwork is bold and flowing, giving movement to the snowdrifts, the distant Laurentian hills, and the layered clouds above. Jackson’s Impressionist leanings shine through in the snow’s vibrant hues, shades of mauve, blue, green, and pink, accented with coral and yellow. Despite his initial doubts, Jackson produced a gem in this sketch.