signed (incised), dated 1912 and inscribed "Copyrighted‒Canada 1914" and "USA" on the base; stamped "Roman Bronze Works N.Y." on the underside of the base
Pierre L'Allier, “Suzor-Coté, L'oeuvre sculpté”, Quebec, 1991, pages 48-49
The multi-talented Quebec artist was also able to seamlessly shift from painting to working in three dimensions. Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté's bronzes were cast in New York at the Roman Bronze Works and became sought after by collectors in Canada and the United States. He produced over forty different bronze figures and groups. Suzor‒Coté presents "Le vieux pionnier canadien" as a dreamer, pondering his life, the rifle and varied tools represented on either side of the base testifying to his activities. Suzor‒Coté depicts the figure in a comfortable seated position, capturing the essence of his subject, the heritage of his people present in the features and attitude of his model. While the artist was renowned for his depictions of the landscape, he was also determined to include images of their rural inhabitants. Inspired by French Realist artists such as Jean‒François Millet, Suzor‒ Coté focused on portraying the individuals in their daily life through portraits and genre scenes. The artist had a particular respect and empathy for these people, which is “attributable to the fact that the artist and model shared a common origin.”
