Cornelius David Krieghoff
1815 - 1872
Canadian
Five Habitants Driving in Winter
oil on canvas
signed and on verso titled and dated circa 1860 on the Masters Gallery label
11 1/4 x 13 1/8 in, 28.6 x 33.3 cm
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
Laing Galleries, Toronto
Kenneth R. Thomson, Toronto
Masters Gallery Ltd., Calgary
Private Collection, Vancouver
Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, November 20, 2019, lot 150
Private Collection, Toronto
This is a classic Cornelius Krieghoff winter scene of Québécois habitants traveling by sleigh, likely over the frozen St. Lawrence River. In 1860, Krieghoff was living in Quebec City, and he would have regularly observed scenes such as this. The wooden sleigh is drawn by a small, sturdy horse from a distinctive breed known as le cheval canadien, descended from Norman and Breton horses introduced into New France in the seventeenth century. Here, the horse is doing what it does best: with its head bent, muzzle foaming, the effort of pulling five people is evident, but the speed at which it is trotting along can be sensed by its streaming mane, flying red sash and the snow kicking up from its hooves.
Indeed, Krieghoff’s keen skill at rendering detail is what makes this scene so distinctive. Note, for instance, the horse’s wooly winter coat and its plumes of hot breath against the cold, or the habitants’ faces going ruddy from the winter bite. The veracity of the habitants’ clothing—coloured toques, clay pipes, a striped Hudson’s Bay Company blanket coat—point to Krieghoff’s efforts to integrate detailed depictions of material culture into romantic vignettes of the distinctive people and places of his time. Krieghoff was renowned for his sensitivity to winter atmospheric effects, and here he captures the pale green tints in the ice, the slushy snow conditions, and a delicate sky full of misty clouds, with pastel tints of mauve, pink and peach fading into the deeper blue of a dimming winter afternoon. Listen Stop
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 CAD
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.
1815 - 1872
Canadian
Five Habitants Driving in Winter
oil on canvas
signed and on verso titled and dated circa 1860 on the Masters Gallery label
11 1/4 x 13 1/8 in, 28.6 x 33.3 cm
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
Laing Galleries, Toronto
Kenneth R. Thomson, Toronto
Masters Gallery Ltd., Calgary
Private Collection, Vancouver
Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, November 20, 2019, lot 150
Private Collection, Toronto
This is a classic Cornelius Krieghoff winter scene of Québécois habitants traveling by sleigh, likely over the frozen St. Lawrence River. In 1860, Krieghoff was living in Quebec City, and he would have regularly observed scenes such as this. The wooden sleigh is drawn by a small, sturdy horse from a distinctive breed known as le cheval canadien, descended from Norman and Breton horses introduced into New France in the seventeenth century. Here, the horse is doing what it does best: with its head bent, muzzle foaming, the effort of pulling five people is evident, but the speed at which it is trotting along can be sensed by its streaming mane, flying red sash and the snow kicking up from its hooves.
Indeed, Krieghoff’s keen skill at rendering detail is what makes this scene so distinctive. Note, for instance, the horse’s wooly winter coat and its plumes of hot breath against the cold, or the habitants’ faces going ruddy from the winter bite. The veracity of the habitants’ clothing—coloured toques, clay pipes, a striped Hudson’s Bay Company blanket coat—point to Krieghoff’s efforts to integrate detailed depictions of material culture into romantic vignettes of the distinctive people and places of his time. Krieghoff was renowned for his sensitivity to winter atmospheric effects, and here he captures the pale green tints in the ice, the slushy snow conditions, and a delicate sky full of misty clouds, with pastel tints of mauve, pink and peach fading into the deeper blue of a dimming winter afternoon. Listen Stop
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 CAD
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.
