René Jean Richard 1895 - 1982

The world of voyageurs, coureurs de bois, and trappers was well-known to Richard. He had mushed his dog team across countless miles of wilderness, and canoed many lakes and rivers. The feeling and the spirit of wilderness was something that he had absorbed and thought about for a long time.

This large and luminous painting is a fine example of Richard's work, painted with vigour and variety throughout. His ability to focus on the essentials of the scene – the trappers with their little portable stove, the fire, and the canoe pulled up close by – is a hallmark of his paintings, and especially those dealing with the outdoor life he loved and knew best.