Première neige, St. Tite des Caps is a strong example of Masson’s inspiration of the modernist landscape painting tradition forged by the Group of Seven and his personal evolution taking their sense of modernism even further than most of his contemporaries. His oeuvre can be summarized as a celebration of everyday life, with subjects including the landscapes of the Gatineau near his home in Ottawa on to the composition provided by the colour of villages in Charlevoix and Eastern Canada, then musicians, choirs, and still lifes.

As early as 1934, Masson earned the recognition of Dr. Marius Barbeau, one of the founders of Canadian anthropology and a significant figure at the National Museum of Canada (today Canadian Museum of History). Shortly thereafter Douglas Duncan at his Picture Loan Society developed an interest in promoting Masson’s paintings. Our original family art gallery, Walter Klinkhoff Gallery hosted several successful solo exhibitions on his behalf. His career is succinctly outlined in Art Canada Institute’s biography. https://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/ottawa-art-and-artists/key-artists/henri-masson