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Breaking up of a Country Ball in Canada, Early Morning (The Morning after a Merrymaking in Lower Canada)
Material	Oil on canvas
Size	60.9 x 91.3 cm
Created	1857
Present location	Art Gallery of Ontario
Identification	AGOID.68839

Breaking up of a Country Ball in Canada, Early Morning (The Morning after a Merrymaking in Lower Canada) is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Description

Breaking up of a Country Ball in Canada, Early Morning (The Morning after a Merrymaking in Lower Canada) (1857) is an oil painting by the Canadian genre painter Cornelius Krieghoff. The scene is set in early winter morning – a dusty rose sunrise starts in the east and gently lights the revelers as they ready their carriages, tie their snow shoes, and wave their farewells. Several groupings of characters play out various scenarios. The actions and reactions of certain groups, or the subtle gesture from one figure to another guides the viewer's eye across the composition. The central figure, in fur hat atop his horse, turns to look over his left shoulder at a companion who is gesturing with his bowed instrument – either handing it back to his fellow musician who forgot it, or trying to get the guest to stay a little longer. In his gusto he has accidentally knocked over a drunk who grabs at the musician’s elbow to prevent himself from falling. Behind them, a gentleman with snowshoes strapped to his back appears to be corned by three aggressive women. At the same time the rider attempts to steady his horse, which has been startled by the swiftly passing man and dog who are running to help a carriage that has toppled over and rudely deposited its passengers in the snow. Up at the house people are still spilling out of the doors and onto the porch. For one man and woman the party isn’t over and they jovially toast each other, the bottle of alcohol still clutched in his hand. Two young women, perhaps they are siblings, at the right end of the porch aim snowballs at the man below. Their likely target is seen raising his arms either ducking for cover or running to protect the unsuspecting couple in the carriage beside him. Looking up into the hayloft, we see a man shaking his fist in anger at the noise below. Breaking up of a Country Ball is a fine example of Krieghoff’s ability to absorb the viewer in multiple stories and layers in one beautiful scene.

Historical information

Breaking up of a Country Ball is an exemplary work of Krieghoff’s subject matter – the traditions of French Canadian and Native life. His fine treatment of subject matter, of light and shade in the subtly changing sky, and both the crisp snow on the roof, and the dirty slush, being trampled beneath people’s feet, show why he is one of the most recognizable nineteenth-century Canadian genre painters.

While the scene itself seems to be a fabrication, and none of the figures have been identified, the inn is based on a real place called Gendron’s, which was located on the Beauport Coast about 2½ kilometers from Montmorency Falls. The subject of "bonhomie" or good naturedness and geniality was popular in Britain at the time, but its presence as a popular European subject matter can be dated back to Brueghel's scenes of peasant life, such as The Peasants' Wedding (1567).

Acquisition

This piece is part of the 2002 Ken Thomson gift to the AGO.

Artist

Main article: Cornelius Krieghoff