La Boutique, Rang St. Laurent, Baie-Saint-Paul 1920

Clarence Gagnon made "La Boutique, Rang St. Laurent, Baie-Saint-Paul" with oil paint and a real attention to place. It's like he wasn’t just looking, but feeling the scene. The way he's laid the paint down so thick in some parts, it reminds me of frosting, or maybe snow! The snow around the house isn't just white, it's got all kinds of blues and purples mixed in. And the blue on the house is so bright. I think it captures something about how colour pops out on a cold day. I really like the little pile of firewood by the side of the house. It's not just a brown blob. You can see each piece. It’s like Gagnon wants us to know, this is real life, and he isn’t just going to gloss over the details. You can compare his work with other painters of the time, like the Group of Seven, who were also trying to find a way to capture the Canadian landscape in a new and modern way.