Lorne Bouchard’s March Afternoon Near Huntingdon, Quebec (1961) depicts a quiet late-winter landscape where snow still blankets the ground but signs of thaw are beginning to appear. Broad, horizontal strokes of off-white and pale grey describe the snowfields, broken by shallow pools of meltwater that catch hints of blue and green, suggesting reflected sky and thin ice. At the right, a small stand of leafless trees anchors the composition, their dark trunks and angular branches painted with firm, confident brushwork that contrasts with the smoother passages of snow. The middle distance is defined by low hedgerows and fence lines, rendered in muted browns and ochres, guiding the eye across the flat rural terrain toward a distant treeline under a cool, subdued sky. The palette is restrained but nuanced, balancing cold winter tones with warmer earth colours emerging through the melting snow. Overall, the painting conveys the stillness and subtle movement of early spring in rural Quebec, capturing that transitional moment when winter is loosening its hold but has not yet fully receded.

Bouchard was born in Montreal on March 19, 1913, and discovered nature and drawing at a young age in his mother’s birthplace of Douglastown, Gaspé. He trained at the Barnes School of Art under Wilfred Molson Barnes in 1928 and at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal from 1930 to 1932 with Professor Maurice Félix. During his formative years, Bouchard was influenced by Canadian and European landscape traditions, and he further refined his approach while observing French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese scenery during his travels. His early work in Drummondville exposed him to young commercial artists and apprentices whom he mentored in drawing and painting techniques, leaving a lasting mark on local Quebec artists.

Bouchard exhibited extensively throughout his career, beginning in 1931 with the galleries of the Royal Academy of Arts and the Montreal Arts Association and later at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. His works are found in numerous public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery in Owen Sound, Ontario. His pictorial world is also featured in several Canadian art reference books, including A Dictionary of Canadian Artists. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and his works remain sought after for their combination of realism and impressionistic handling of light and atmosphere.

Bouchard’s teaching and mentorship, both formally and informally, shaped a generation of Quebec painters, particularly those working in landscapes and plein-air painting. His training under Wilfred Molson Barnes and Maurice Félix provided a strong classical foundation, while his exposure to European light and landscapes enriched his palette and technique. Through his work at Dennison Manufacturing and Bomac Limited, Bouchard guided apprentices and young artists in practical and studio methods, influencing the development of mid-20th-century Quebec art. His ability to balance realism with impressionistic effects, combined with his careful study of light and seasonality, left a lasting impact on both contemporaries and successive Canadian painters. March Afternoon Near Huntingdon, QC is signed bottom left, executed in oil on board, and measures 16 × 24 inches.