The Sunlit Bend captures a peaceful river scene glowing with light. William Henry Clapp’s brushwork brings movement to the water and warmth to the surrounding landscape. The painting reflects Clapp’s Impressionist style, where light and colour transform an ordinary view into something radiant and alive.

William Henry Clapp’s Canadian roots remained central to his identity, even though his family later settled in California. Determined to refine his art, he travelled to Europe and studied at the prestigious Académie Julian and Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, where he trained under Jean-Paul Laurens and absorbed the revolutionary colour theories of the Impressionists and Fauves. His exposure to artists like Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse helped shape the expressive style that would become his hallmark.

In 1915, Clapp returned to Montreal and became an important, active member of the Beaver Hall Group, a collective of modern Canadian painters who pushed national art forward in the early 20th century. Later, as director of the Oakland Art Gallery in California for more than 30 years, he influenced generations of artists while continuing his own pursuit of luminous, light-filled landscapes.

At Rookleys Canadian Art Gallery, we are proud to present The Sunlit Bend as part of our collection. This work not only showcases Clapp’s masterful ability to translate sunlight into paint but also celebrates his place in the story of Canadian Impressionism, bridging European modernism with the landscapes of his Canadian birthplace. This piece is an oil and tempura on panel and measures 15 x 18 in and is signed and dated bottom left.