William Perehudoff often used mythology as a basis for the naming convention of his work throughout the 1960s. The Zephrus series was likely named after the Greek god, Zephyrus, God of the West Wind and son of the Goddess of the Dawn. This large-scale abstraction emits a vibrant airy quality, perfectly suiting its name. By 1968 Perehudoff had moved to pure abstraction, and this lively, dancing, painting is all about colour, a focal block of yellow hugged by bold bands of darker yellow, blue, white and pink. In the year that Zephrus #17 was painted, Perehudoff had reached a very exciting time in his career. He was in a number of group shows including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. At nearly 8 feet wide and 7 feet tall, the work is a monumental moment in Colour Field painting and a masterclass in colour, form and composition by a Canadian legend.