Lot 28
CLARENCE ALPHONSE GAGNON, R.C.A. (1881-1942)
Lot 28 Details
CLARENCE ALPHONSE GAGNON, R.C.A. (1881-1942), Canadian
TINZEN (GRISONS), SUISSE, 1927
Oil on panel; titled, dated, and certified by Lucile Rodier Gagnon (no.471), Paris, 1946 on the reverse
6.25 ins x 9 ins; 15.9 cms x 22.9 cms
Estimate $8,000-$12,000
Additional Images
Provenance:
The Mulholland Collection, Waddington's, Toronto, ON 4 March 1982, lot 38
Private Collection, Ontario
Note:
Although best known for his definitively Canadian scenes, Gagnon travelled throughout Europe during the height of his artistic output. While living and training in Paris, he gained a mentor in fellow Canadian Impressionist, James Wilson Morrice. Taking walks together along the Seine, Morrice encouraged Gagnon to capture the essence of a moment. During this period, Gagnon produced works with decidedly European content for both Canadian and European audiences. After exhibiting successfully at the prestigious Salon des Champs-Elysée, he returned to Canada an award-winning artist with a new international audience.
Tinzen is a small town, with a current population of just over 300, nestled in the canton of Grisons in eastern Switzerland. Gagnon travelled from France to Switzerland in 1926-27, resulting in several pochades. It is easy to see how the painter was charmed by the rugged mountains and lush greens that cradle this small village, anchored by the church, Katholische Kirche Son Plasch, at the centre of the composition.