We can see a farmer still hand plowing his field, and the sheer amount of farmland in the foreground is almost unimaginable to us today with much of the green space taken up by buildings and homes. The small humble homes and several farmers out working can be seen instead. I find interesting being able to look back at the city so much smaller, consisting of what we would consider Old Port and behind it running up to the mountain remains no development as of yet. By using the name "Hochelaga" instead of merely Montreal this lends credence to the name given by the native Iroquois who once inhabited Montreal and had a settlement where as far back as when Jacques Cartier arrived on boat all the way back to October 2, 1535. The area was still called Hochelaga yet I feel it tells of Fortin's thought process when working, the title and thus the land nestled up to the mountain being the subject rather than the city. The location of Hochelaga is actually close to where McGill University sits currently and as the title suggests we can see the sun setting over this area. The "intended" view the title suggests could be captured from staying in the city but instead he sets himself back from the city. But this comes as no surprise as he often enjoyed getting out of the city to work. As well Fortin's interest in the juxtaposition of the urban and industrialized with nature he was known to be fond of (he often made trips all over Quebec to paint scenes of nature) allows the viewer a perspective that tells a greater story. A story he was living and seeing every day as during his life he watched the city expand outward and consume the nature surrounding it. I find it interesting this was painted in 1940 as the city had already expanded past what is shown; perhaps he was painting a memory or even painting a longing for yesteryear. .
Plumes of exhaust can be seen billowing out of the factories obstructing the view of the base of the mountain and a tall steeple can be seen shooting right into the middle of the gorgeous sunset.
