Horse Racing in Winter 1927

Clarence Gagnon made this painting, Horse Racing in Winter, without specifying when or with what, but let's imagine it was oil on canvas, capturing a lively winter scene. The colors are so vivid, like a carnival against the snow. Gagnon isn’t afraid to lay it on thick, is he? The paint has a real physical presence, especially in the snowdrifts piled on those charming houses. Look at the building on the right side of the scene; there is a real impasto effect, and the snow is so bright it almost feels like you could reach out and touch it. It is kind of interesting how the artist contrasts the crispness of the village buildings against the busy, almost chaotic scene of horses and people moving around the race track. This reminds me of some later painters like Marsden Hartley, who also found ways to use simple color to create a powerful sense of place and feeling. Art is really about this ongoing dialogue; you know, a conversation between artists, across time.