The Old Habitant, 1845

Laing Galleries, Toronto Private Collection, Ontario

Marius Barbeau, “Cornelius Krieghoff: Pioneer Painter of North America”, Toronto, 1934, page 15 Dennis Reid, “Krieghoff: Images of Canada”, Vancouver/Toronto, 1999, pages 52-53

Cornelius Krieghoff had been exposed to the European artistic milieu growing up in the Netherlands. However, Krieghoff felt he could benefit from the prestige of European academic training. According to the records of the Louvre in Paris, he was given permission to paint copies of the paintings in the collection as of October 29th, 1844, which would have aided to develop the painter’s artistic vision for the future. The Montreal Society of Artists welcomed seventeen artists to participate in their exhibition of 1847. Krieghoff was invited to participate and exhibited forty-eight paintings, which included “a fascinating group of works he copied in Paris 1844-45,” remarked Dennis Reid. Krieghoff also included original compositions such as “Breaking Lent” (The Thomson Collection). Three reviews of this exhibition have been located and one review remarked that the works of Krieghoff “show, ‘a great deal of merit’.” This period in Paris was instrumental for Krieghoff, as evidenced by the robust collection of paintings he presented to the Montreal Society of Artists. He certainly drew upon his studies abroad, as well as the tradition of Dutch genre painting in the next period of his artistic career, which focused on depictions of Quebec habitants. As Marius Barbeau suggests “French-Canadians have a sense of fun which thoroughly appealed to an artist of Dutch origin; they were the stuff for a Brueghel and a Teniers.” Krieghoff painted many scenes of habitant life and among his great cast of stock characters were tradesmen, seasonal labourers and merrymakers. “The Old Habitant” exhibits Krieghoff’s quintessential approach - finely executed detail in the lively dress of the figure, well-articulated facial features and a dash of humour. The impish grin of the man in the red toque, with a jug of ale in hand and eyes firmly planted gazing outward is captivating. The oil painting is dated 1845 and was likely executed upon Krieghoff’s return to Canada, the artist fresh with ideas from his sojourn in Paris. The warmth of this intimate composition, expertly rendered with Krieghoff’s painterly brush is a rare example of a single figure painting by the important historical artist.