The Alps, 1928

Laing Galleries, Toronto Private Collection, Winnipeg Galerie Walter Klinkhoff, Montreal Private Collection, Toronto

Clarence Gagnon, National Gallery of Canada, accessed April 8, 2021 (https://cutt.ly/Pbbxo2d)

Between 1922 and 1936 Clarence Gagnon lived in Europe, based primarily in France and embarked on road trips during the summer months. He made brief returns to Canada throughout these years, and in 1927, Gagnon’s works were included in exhibitions at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; the Musée du Jeu de Paume, Paris; the Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City; and the Art Association of Montreal. This 1928 composition of the Alps underscores the artist’s romantic vision of landscape, which was always deeply rooted in his native land. Despite being surrounded by breathtaking scenery in Europe, the influence of “home” remained present in Gagnon’s works. In 1931, the artist wrote: “It was not the over-sensitivity of the misunderstood that made me move to Paris....Over there, I paint only Canadian subjects, I dream only of Canada. The motif remains fixed in my mind, and I don’t allow myself to be captivated by the charms of a new landscape. In Switzerland, Scandinavia - everywhere, I recall my French Canada.”