signed, titled & dated
Note: Remnants of Art Gallery of Toronto (now Art Gallery of Ontario) label verso.
Early in his career, Gagnon, like many Canadian artists of his time, studied in Paris. Here, he attended the Academie Julien (1904-1905) and became immersed in the artistic community, gaining recognition for his work at the St. Louis Art Exhibition, and from the Salon de la Societe des Artistes Francais. While in Paris, Gagnon painted with James Wilson Morrice and became influenced by his plein-air sketching techniques. Upon his return to Quebec in 1908, he settled in Baie-St-Paul along the St. Lawrence River, and divided his time between this favoured sketching area, Montreal and Europe. It is in the Laurentians where he produced most of the plein-air sketches that he later used in Paris to compose his major canvases – evoking for Gagnon, and showcasing for all, his tranquil and idyllic Quebec.
