Cornelius David Krieghoff 1815 - 1872

Galérie Bernard Desroches, Montréal
Private Collection, Montréal

Although this popular subject was one that Krieghoff painted many times for itinerant military personnel who came and went in British North America, as well as for the English and French populations who wanted these 'charming souvenirs' of habitant life, he usually managed to make each one distinctive in one way or another.

This is a particularly fine example, since the artist hasn't taken any shortcuts with any part of the painting. His treatment of the sky, the landscape both near and in the distance, the texture of the snow, and the general sunny atmosphere are all Krieghoff at his professional best. However, it is the figure of the hunter that takes centre stage, and again the artist does not disappoint. The colours are vivid, the detail of the clothing carefully rendered, and the scale and balance of the painting are well ordered. A kind of souvenir it may be, but it is of an enduring and charming kind.