Clarence Gagnon (1881-1942) was born just north of Montreal in the village of Sainte-Rose, Quebec. After studying under William Brymner at the Art Association of Montreal, Gagnon moved to Paris to continue his education at the Académie Julian in 1904. Following his time in Paris and travelling around Europe for 10 years, Gagnon moved back to Canada as the first World War approached in 1914. Arriving back in Canada allowed him to reconnect with Quebec with a new perspective. He remained infatuated with the region of Charlevoix, specifically Baie-Saint-Paul, being drawn in by the charming and picturesque setting as an area he had explored early in his painting career. Nearing the end of the war, Gagnon travelled back to Paris but found the scarcity of food and resources a difficult life, so he returned to Quebec.

This charming painting is a fantastic example of Gagnon’s Quebec works, depicting the approaching spring thaw in the rolling, rural hills of Charlevoix.