Laurier Lacroix, Suzor-Coté: Light and Matter, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 2002, page 220
Suzor-Coté studied the variations of light at different times of day, and he made a number of plein-air sketches which gave him unlimited scope for this endeavour. “Sunset” serves as an example of these small oil sketches, depicting an enchanting and glowing scene of the sun setting through the clouds behind leafy trees. Laurier Lacroix remarks on the importance of landscape painting in Suzor-Coté’s body of work: “until the end of his working life, it was in landscapes that Suzor-Coté re-formulated his vision of painting. More than any subject, seasonal and climatic changes–as well as variations of light on topography‒dictated different ways of framing a subject, suggesting space, and applying paint in a range of colours using a variety of techniques.”
