Pre-Confederation Canadian Portraiture

While at first glance many of the portraits produced before 1867 bear striking similarities to one another, portraiture in pre-Confederation Canada was actually multifaceted, and six types of portraits can be discerned: Official; Professional; Head and Shoulders; Family; Private; and Silhouette. There were many artists in pre-Confederation Canada who were able to make a living from the production of these oil painted portraits.  Each was able to create a niche for themselves thanks in part to their geography, talent, and/or patrons and personal connections.


Official: Were primarily reserved for those in administrative positions (governors, priests, university officials, and the bourgeoisie) and were usually commissioned to commemorate an extraordinary achievement. They would be displayed where the subjects carried out their duties. Dignity, official dress, reference to achievement through an inscription or object, elaborate setting were all required. The formula for this type of portrait was derived from that of royal portraits.

Theophile Hamel, Louis-Joseph Papineau, 1870
Oil on Canvas, 86.4 x 127.4 cm

Professional: Had the same conventions as listed above. Objects continued to play an important role and symbolism is prominent. For public or private display, they reflected self assurance and convinced viewers of the subjects’ credibility and social standing.

Theophile Hamel, The Honourable John Sandfield Macdonald, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, 1852-18541854, Oil on Canvas, 110.3 x 82 cm

Head and Shoulders: Were slightly less formal than Official and Professional portraits, and respectability becomes a dominant value. ¾ view to establish a “sincere” relationship with subject is a renaissance theme. Light on the subject’s face gives contrast to simple backgrounds and may act to create more space between the viewer and the subject. Middle classes favoured these types of portraits. These portraits reveal nothing about how the sitter achieved success, “but simply that they had succeeded and were guaranteed social prestige as a result.” (Mario Beland, 1992)

Antoine Plamondon, Soeur Saint-Alphonse, 1841
Oil on Canvas, 90.6 x 72 cm

Family: Men wanting to affirm self worth displayed their occupation, while women focused on maternal aspects. Motherhood and childhood were new concepts in the society at this time; previously children were simply incomplete adults. There was also high infant mortality which equated to very few paintings of children. Since the end of the anciene regime, the bourgeoisie venerated “family” as a basic component of the whole social structure. Family devotion was shown through children at play with themselves and their mothers. It is rare to find a work with the father included.

William Berczy, The Woolsey Family, 1808
Oil on Canvas

Private: An individual, often male, would be rather romantically depicted within a natural setting. The work, often simple in composition, and small sized (often miniature) would allude the man's desire for harmony between himself and the universe. They would have been for private or family viewing only, and are not common.


Silhouette: Completed primarily by itinerant artists, silhouettes were meant to be decorative, novel, and cheap. Resemblance to the subject and immediate recognition were important. Physiognomy, mechanics, and novelty helped to popularize this portrait type.

Untitled, Unamed Silhouette, 19th century.
Belonging to the collection of Black Creek Pioneer Village, Toronto

For more information, see Mario Béland, et al, Painting in Quebec, 1820-1850, New Views, New Perspectives, Quebec: Musée du Québec, 1992. (Exhibition Catalogue)