“Winter Afternoon near Newmarket, Canada” by William John Hopkinson was painted in the impressionist style in 1948. The small size (10 1/4″ x 12′) suggests that this snowy, rural landscape was most likely painted en plein air. The snow scene is a classic genre of the American impressionists, as is the use of lavender in the shadow areas. Close up views show the swirling strokes and thick application of paint by a palette knife that give it a lively appearance. It is certainly cold, but the use of yellow and ochre add the warmth of the sun and banish the bleakness of a winter day in Canada. Soft blues and purples in the rolling land and low mountains push the background away and give an expansive quality to this small work. It’s a winner!
William John Hopkinson (1887-1970) was born in London, England, and studied art there briefly before coming to Canada in 1912. He is best known for his plein air scenes done with a palette knife, and spent some time traveling and painting along the eastern seaboard in America, particularly in Massachusetts. Hopkinson is less well known than other contemporaries, partly because he had a number of jobs besides that of a fine art painter: he worked as a commercial artist for several companies, a contractor painting houses, barns and churches, owned a paint store and also taught art. While he traveled Canada from east to west on painting trips, he is best known in the Newmarket area of Ontario which was his home.
