signed & dated; titled on gallery label verso
Provenance: The Watson Art Galleries, Montreal
Robert Pilot’s early exposure to art came from his step-father, artist Maurice Cullen, in whose studio he assisted, and with whom he often travelled and sketched. Under the tutelage of William Brymner, Pilot’s training at the RCA and the Art Association of Montreal revealed an exceptional talent and garnered early recognition. With the assistance of an arts patron, Pilot was able to study in Paris. He trained at the Académie Julian, painted at Concarneau and exhibited with the Paris Salon, becoming elected to the Salon National des Beaux-Arts before returning to Canada.
As a young man Pilot had accepted an invitation to exhibit at the first Group of Seven show in 1920, though he did not go on to join the group. Pilot was guided by more impressionistic sensibilities. He was not drawn to depict the remote landscapes and rugged wilderness of Canada, but to the gentler, populated regions and human landscape, particularly those of the Lower St. Lawrence.
Lévis, Quebec is a recurring subject for Pilot, with important works such as “Québec from Lévis” and “Twilight, Lévis” residing in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
