Masters Gallery, Calgary

Private collection, Calgary

Maurice Cullen is widely considered the father of Canadian Impressionism and a pioneering interpreter of the Canadian winter. After studying in Paris, he returned to Canada and adapted French Impressionist techniques to local subjects. He found enduring inspiration in the luminous northern light and rural countryside of Quebec, particularly in the Laurentians, the Côte-de-Beaupré, and along the St. Lawrence River. His atmospheric portrayals of open water winding through snow-covered terrain and his iconic ice-harvest scenes remain among his most significant contributions to Canadian landscape painting.