|
In the immediate foreground, we see two tiny figures of a mother and child wearing scarves and long skirts. They have just descended the well-worn diagonal path and are dwarfed by the overall composition. In the middle ground, a black locomotive, emblematic of industrial development cuts through the city leaving a trail of dark smoke in its wake. On the other side of the tracks, the imposing architecture of grain silos and a large dark church look to the southern shore of the St. Lawrence River where green hills and blue mountains of curved lines offer respite from the urban compression. To accentuate the rhythm of the repeating block-like houses, Fortin focuses on the vertical and horizontal lines. He enlivens the houses with warm colours of red, orange, yellow, pink and reserves the cool colours for the background and nature. The paint, which has been applied thickly and with firmness, energizes the various elements of the painting.
 |
|
