Cornelius Kreighoff is an artist who achieved renown within his own lifetime, and whose sustained popularity with the Canadian public is unprecedented. His visions of carefree habitants and stoic Native Canadians have entered the Canadian consciousness almost as factual records of a particular time and place, though it is clearly a mistake to treat them as such. Krieghoff worked with his audience in mind, and was skilled at creating genre paintings that reflected his viewpoint and that of his patrons. His figures tend to be generalized types, and his compositions are often repeated. Winter, Quebec is typical of his winter paintings of Native Canadians in both style and composition. He frequently painted groups of figures, with at least one turned away from the viewer, meeting in an expansive landscape, dominated by snow and sky. This work demonstrates Krieghoff’s skill at creating the tonal effects of a wintry day on his canvas.