Certifié par le Dr. Max Stern, Galerie Dominion Montréal, 1972

# inventaire D6302-Galerie Dominion Montréal

Settling in Quebec City in 1853, Cornelius Krieghoff experienced his artistic and commercial peak during the following decade. Inspired by the visual richness of the city, the St. Lawrence River, and the surrounding regions, he developed a prolific and highly acclaimed body of work. His landscapes and genre scenes skillfully captured seasonal contrasts, atmospheric effects, and the daily lives of the inhabitants, making this the most significant period of his career.

The difficult conditions of winter travel in Lower Canada during the 19th century were a central theme in his work. The roads, badly damaged by the jolting of horse-drawn carriages, made journeys arduous and perilous. Adding to these obstacles were the violent snowstorms, which Krieghoff depicted with a keen sense of observation and storytelling.

In several paintings, including *Caught in a Blizzard*, the artist depicts local people—often accompanied by their wives—traveling by sleigh behind a horse, caught in a blinding snowstorm, on their way to church or to visit a neighbor. Recurring elements such as roadside crosses, fences, and evergreens serve as visual landmarks, structuring the space while emphasizing the sense of isolation and struggle against the elements.

This scene, with some variations in composition and detail, is found in works held at the McCord Museum and the National Gallery of Canada, attesting to the importance and enduring popularity of this motif in Krieghoff’s oeuvre.