Sold at Auction: Clarence Alphonse Gagnon

(b Montreal, Canada, 1881; d Montreal, 1942) Canadian Painter. Clarence Alphonse Gagnon became a student at the Art Association of Montreal in 1897, studying under William Brymner. In 1903 Gagnon traveled to Europe and studied in France under the direction of Jean-Paul Laurens at the Acadèmie Julian. Gagnon returned to Canada in 1909. The following year, the artist became an associate member of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts. While Gagnon maintained a permanent residence in Canada, he was continuously traveling back and forth from Europe throughout his lifetime. Although Gagnon spent many years in Europe, his paintings of the small rural villages of Quebec established and ensured his reputation. Like his contemporaries - Morrice, Suzor-Cote, Cullen, Coburn and Pilot - Gagnon brought the tenets of Impressionism to Canada and adopted them to the Canadian landscape.* Combining aspects of both Impressionism and Realism, Gagnon introduced a unique approach to Canadian landscape painting. (Credit: *Ritchies, Toronto, Canada, Important Canadian Art, May 31, 2004, Lot 81)