Near Kesinck, England

Take a breath and contemplate this serene green watercolour landscape by Robert Gagen. Born in England, Gagen moved to Canada in 1862, where he began to work in a photography studio painting photographs. A skilled painter, Gagen’s focus shifted towards landscapes and seascapes, and he later became a founding member of the Ontario School of Arts. This work, depicting a scene near Keswick, in England’s Lakes District, was completed during a trip to Europe Gagen took in the mid-1900s, where he spent time painting the topography of Scotland, England, and Switzerland.