A portrait of the Canadian winter

Posted on by garbagefinds

g. duveyre art

This isn’t a recent find, but it is one of my favourites.

I came across this painting (about 100cm / 50cm, or 3’4″ by 1’8″) in the alley behind my home back when I lived in the Mile-End (and before I ever thought about making a blog about trash).

The painter is “G. Duveyre.” Google search doesn’t find too much about him – not even his first name – but the consensus is that he was Canadian.

I think it’s a great piece of art. It offers a beautiful snapshot into the Canadian winter, that thing that has played such a large role in our history and continues to define us.

This painting portrays rural life before the automobile, or at least before it was practical to use them in winter. Society has become more and more urbanized (due largely to industrialization), but at one point this would have been the experience of the vast majority of Canadians. It’s interesting to think about what life would have been like – the idea of having to make preserves to last you the whole winter, for example. You couldn’t just drive to the grocery store, and you definitely couldn’t buy bananas. Many of the things we take so much for granted today would have been impossible.

This art isn’t in perfect shape. There are a few holes – as if someone put nails through it. There’s also a little tear. None of this is really noticeable, however.

It now hangs from my wall in my room. It’ll remind to be thankful for my relatively easy life and the easy-going warmth of summer.

9 thoughts on “A portrait of the Canadian winter”

  1. I saw that painting hanging in your old place, and quite liked it!

    Your painting is similar to some of the winter scenes of Québécois painter Clarence Alphonse Gagnon, 1881-1942 (example http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Village-in-the-Laurentians-Posters_i8074381_.htm), but more impressionistic.

    The painting also bears some similarity to Group of Seven artists (maybe he was associated with them, or a student of one of them?) Example A.Y. Jackson https://bitly.com/shorten/ & Lawren Harris http://art.jerryandmartha.com/2005/01/winter-weather.html.

    You could always call some of the galleries, to see if they have a someone whose specialty is Quebec/Canadian/US art … and take it in for them to look at.

    Hang on to it.

  2. You had more than 400 followers of your blog two days ago,now it is down to 329.That is a steep drop.I hope your subscribers increase past 400 again.That would be good to see.

    1. It’s only because I switched from linking the blog to my personal facebook to a specific facebook “blog” made for the blog. This number is likely more realistic than the last one, and now you can find me on fb! It’s called – you guessed it “Things I find in the garbage”

  4. Article I cut and paste for you and your readers
    Landlord fined $40,000 for tossing tenants’ clothes

    By TONY BLAIS, QMI Agency

    Share on facebookShare on stumbleuponShare on liveShare on farkMore Sharing Services

    EDMONTON — An elderly slum landlord who got rid of bad tenants by removing their front doors or throwing out their clothes and changing the locks has been fined nearly $40,000.

    Giovanni Canonaco, 75, was convicted Wednesday in an Alberta court of 28 counts under the Public Health Act, relating to his failing to take care of “revolting” conditions at a four-suite rental home at 9223 110 A Ave.

    “He demonstrated complete indifference to the regulatory legislation which was applicable to his property,” said Judge Paul Sully, who rejected Canonaco’s evidence at trial as “untrustworthy and unreliable.”

    Court heard the convictions were for allowing the condition of the suites to deteriorate to the point where they were declared unfit for habitation and failing to comply with an order requiring him to repair the deficiencies.

    Court also heard Canonaco had sold the building and was trying to evict his tenants to complete the sale, but continued to take rental payments from Social Services and AISH while leaving the premises in a state of disrepair.

    Sully ruled the rental suites were in an “appallingly dilapidated” condition and Canonaco was responsible for those “atrociously poor” conditions.

    “It was obvious to me that the premises were allowed to reach this condition through the neglect of the defendant over a lengthy period of time,” said Sully. “I found the condition of the premises to be revolting.”

    Court heard Canonaco had owned the building since 1978, when he bought it for $15,500, and sold it in 2009 for $135,000.

    During the trial, the long-time landlord testified he had got rid of some bad tenants by taking the front doors off their suites and waiting for them to eventually move out.

    Canonaco also testified he would go into the suites when the tenants were away and throw all their clothing into the hallway and then change the locks on the doors.

    At one point during the trial while Canonaco was up on the witness stand, his cell phone rang and he actually took the call and began speaking to the caller.

    Canonaco was fined a total of $38,686.

    Landlord fined $40,000 for tossing tenants’ clothes

    By TONY BLAIS, QMI Agency

    Share on facebookShare on stumbleuponShare on liveShare on farkMore Sharing Services

    EDMONTON — An elderly slum landlord who got rid of bad tenants by removing their front doors or throwing out their clothes and changing the locks has been fined nearly $40,000.

    Giovanni Canonaco, 75, was convicted Wednesday in an Alberta court of 28 counts under the Public Health Act, relating to his failing to take care of “revolting” conditions at a four-suite rental home at 9223 110 A Ave.

    “He demonstrated complete indifference to the regulatory legislation which was applicable to his property,” said Judge Paul Sully, who rejected Canonaco’s evidence at trial as “untrustworthy and unreliable.”

    Court heard the convictions were for allowing the condition of the suites to deteriorate to the point where they were declared unfit for habitation and failing to comply with an order requiring him to repair the deficiencies.

    Court also heard Canonaco had sold the building and was trying to evict his tenants to complete the sale, but continued to take rental payments from Social Services and AISH while leaving the premises in a state of disrepair.

    Sully ruled the rental suites were in an “appallingly dilapidated” condition and Canonaco was responsible for those “atrociously poor” conditions.

    “It was obvious to me that the premises were allowed to reach this condition through the neglect of the defendant over a lengthy period of time,” said Sully. “I found the condition of the premises to be revolting.”

    Court heard Canonaco had owned the building since 1978, when he bought it for $15,500, and sold it in 2009 for $135,000.

    During the trial, the long-time landlord testified he had got rid of some bad tenants by taking the front doors off their suites and waiting for them to eventually move out.

    Canonaco also testified he would go into the suites when the tenants were away and throw all their clothing into the hallway and then change the locks on the doors.

    At one point during the trial while Canonaco was up on the witness stand, his cell phone rang and he actually took the call and began speaking to the caller.

    Canonaco was fined a total of $38,686.

    1. Wow, you’re right, it’s very similar to my painting (I’m looking at it right now). I wonder how this would have happened. I assume my copy is the “original”, did an amateur attempt to reproduce it?

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