"La chasse-galerie" (painting)

By Fernand Thifault; Saint-Adelphe, Quebec; 1977; house paint on canvas; 175.5 x 128.5 x 2.5 cm. CMC 81-202

A carpenter by trade, Fernand Thifault spends his leisure time painting portraits and illustrating legends. This painting depicts "La chasse- galerie", a well-known Quebec legend. Woodcutters leave their camp to go and celebrate in the village; the trip is made in a flying canoe propelled by the power of the devil; but on the return trip one of the travellers does something forbidden and the canoe becomes stranded at the top of a spruce tree. The figures in this painting are all familiar inhabitants of Saint-Adelphe, adding a touch of humour to the legend. The artist has given himself a pseudonym by changing the spelling of his name on the canvas.