Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, Montreal
Private Collection, Ontario
Clarence Gagnon studied under William Brymner at the Art Association of Montreal in 1897. Looking to advance his artistic knowledge and training, he left for Paris in 1904 to study at the Académie Julian. Before returning to Canada, Gagnon travelled and painted throughout Europe, employing the vivid palette and loose paint handling of the Impressionists that he would later incorporate into his compositions of Quebec landscapes. Several years later, Gagnon took trips to Italy, France and Switzerland to paint the scenery that varied from his homeland. “Swiss Village” depicts the rooftops of a charming town in the Swiss mountains, encircling a tall church steeple. The loose brushstrokes and vibrant colours employed by Gagnon attest to his influence and credit in advancing modernist painting in Canada.
