Eggs and Highways

Both Mary Pratt (1935-) and Jack Chambers (1931-78) used photography as a means of capturing an image for the purpose of painting it. Unlike Impressionists who wished to paint light and surfaces as quickly as possible, exposing their brushstrokes in the process, Pratt and Chambers wanted an exacting realism void of any real evidence of their own hand. They wanted to capture the light and its relationship with various objects at a specific moment in time. In order to accomplish this, they used photography. This technology allowed them to capture the shadows and highlights of their intended subject so that they could translate it to the canvas later on at their own pace.

Mary Pratt, Eggs in Egg Crate, 1975
50.5 cm x 60.5 cm

Jack Chambers, 401 Towards London No. 1, 1968
183.0 cm x 244.0 cm

Pratt was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick where she studied with Alex Coleville and Lawren Harris at Mount Allison University. She later moved to Newfoundland with her artist husband Christopher Pratt, and began to paint the objects that immediately surrounded her in home.

While Jack Chambers began his studies in art in London, Ontario, he left to continue his education in Spain in 1953. He returned in 1961 and produced a number of works alongside fellow London native Greg Curnoe. In 1969 Chambers was diagnosed with leukemia. Until his death he began to paint ever more realistic images, such as the one pictured here.

Fire!

In 1682, Quebec City's Lower Town experienced a fire that destroyed 55 of the 56 homes located there.
In 1721, a fire ravaged through Montreal, destroying 138 buildings. 
In between these years, numerous smaller fires (the majority of which were accidental in nature) destroyed homes all along the St. Lawrence River. In 1727, the French Government decided to do something about it. 

Fire at the Ursuline convent, Québec
Painting
Artist unknown, date unknown , Library and Archives Canada, C-117818

In 1727 Claude-Thomas Dupuy, the Intendant of New France, officially issued one of the most comprehensive building codes ever to be given to the French people of the St. Lawrence valley.  Void of any mention of the seemingly larger issues of defence or trade, it dealt very simply and precisely with issues regarding the urban homes of ordinary people living in the main centres of Quebec, Trois Rivieres, and Montreal. This Building Code issued on June 7th, 1727 was a direct response to the increasing threat and instance of fires throughout these urban centres where timber was the preferred material for domestic building.  Timber construction techniques had increased the instances of fire, and were exacerbated by the affordability and availability of wood in the colonies. The common use of colombage and wood-framed mansard-style roofs covered in cedar shingles, paired with densely packed urban spaces, was proving to be a deadly mix.

Dupuy decreed that homes should be two storeys tall and include a cellar, the main floor must be 12 feet high, and that the basement must remain below ground level. The use of wood as a building material within the main structure of the home was outlawed as long as a stone alternative could be used (for example stone lintels).  The issues surrounding the roofs of houses were not left to any individual interpretation, but were also dictated in great detail.  Cedar and wood shingles were forbidden, and slate and tile shingles were to take their place.  Roofs were to form an “equilateral triangle based on the width of the house” and attics were to be floored with terra cotta tiles for added protection. This reinstated the non-tolerance of the mansard style, as well as made it easier to legislate the necessity of ladders on roof slopes for firemen (security) and sweeps (maintenance of chimneys).

Joseph Légaré,
The Fire in the Saint-Jean Quarter, Seen Looking Westward
1848, oil on canvas, 151.1 x 220.3 cm

If we fast forward to the future, however, we can see through the vivid canvas of Joseph Legare, that the French Government could not counter the occurrence of fires forever. In 1848, Quebec City experienced not one, but two fires - the second of which destroyed the entirety of the Saint Jean Quarter. Amid the flames one can see some of the architectural elements imposed on the city by Dupuy: the tall homes, lowered cellars, tall chimneys and stone gables, and of course the triangular roofs. You can see this massive piece in person at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

Joseph Légaré,
Fire in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood, viewed from Côte-à-Coton looking west , 1845-1848
Oil on canvas, 271.2 x 198.0 cm

Joseph Legare is considered to be Canada's first landscape artist, and is known for his depictions of terrible events such as the 1848 fire, as well as the city's cholera epidemics. Legare was a great supporter of the arts in Lower Canada (Quebec), and after 1845 became a proponent for the creation of a national gallery. You can read more about him at the Canadian Encyclopedia, and the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online.

When "Popular" Wasn't a Good Thing

When Benjamin West's painting The Death of Wolfe was unveiled and put on public display at the Royal Academy in London, England in 1771 it caused quite a stir. Although the viewing public believed that the faces of the men in the painting lacked the expressive quality of extreme happiness (they thought that no matter the cost, the men should have been rapturous over their victory over the French), and they were a bit upset that they could not link this painting to a poem or contemporary literary work (like so many other grand historical paintings), they declared the painting a resounding success. The popularity of the piece helped to cement General Wolfe and his accomplishments into the hearts and minds of the English - an enduring popularity for all those aware of his story.

Academics had a different opinion of the painting. The main issue was that West intentionally dressed Wolfe and his compatriots not in classical Grecian drapery, but in the uniforms that they were most likely wearing while at battle. This lack of acceptable decorum went against the teachings of the Royal Academy, and with regards to grand historical works was up to this point simply unheard of. If it didn't fit in with the Academy, how could they possibly accept it? Additionally, to Academic scholars at the time, only the lowest styles and poorest works were admired by the ignorant public who knew little about true taste and the arts. The fact that the painting was so quickly and widely received only added to the ire of the Academy towards the work.

Benjamin West, 1738-1820
The Death of Wolfe. 1770
Oil on canvas
59 1/2" x 84"

What are your thoughts about the painting?
For readers unaware, or for those wondering why I might be discussing the work of an American painter and a British viewing public - it is the subject matter that makes it supremely Canadian. The victory of General Wolfe over the Marquis de Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham (at Quebec City) in 1759 resulted in the transfer of the colony of New France from French to British control. While the original painting is on display at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, West's workshop did create a number of copies - five in total. The last copy to be made is on display at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

For more information: Alan McNairn's 1997 Behold The Hero: General Wolfe and the Arts in the Eighteenth Century, National Gallery of Canada - The Death of Wolfe, National Gallery of Art, USA - Biography of Benjamin West, Government of Canada - Battles of 1759 and 1763

Introducing: Robert Field (1794-1819)

Robert Field was an English painter who trained at the Royal Academy before immigrating to the United States in 1794. While in the U.S., he completed a number of miniatures, although relatively few large oil portraits. Gaining commissions for larger portrait works in the U.S. at this time was difficult as competition amongst artists was fierce, and clients would often seek the work of well established and celebrated hands. It is likely that this competitive environment encouraged Field to move elsewhere, and in May 1808 he relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Portrait miniature of George Washington by Robert Field

Portrait of John Maxwell Nesbitt, c. 1796 by Robert Field

Once established in the coastal garrison town, Field experienced a boom in commissions. In his eight years in Halifax, he painted over fifty oil portraits for those belonging to the administrative and military elite - an elite hungry for validation of their posts and perceived importance within their society, and within the Empire: "The ruling class of government officials, merchants, and military officers had constructed an aristocratic lifestyle by emulating English manners, material taste and even entertainments. The arrival of a pedigreed portrait painter who could give visual testament to the real (or imagined) power was but another step towards cultural legitimacy". (Sandra Paikowsky, 1978)

Lieutenant Provo William Parry Wallis, R.N., 1813 by Robert Field

Sir George Provost, 1808-1816, by Robert Field

Concentrating on individual portraits, it was only a matter of time before Field exhausted his available market (he actually ran out of officials to paint!), and eventually the commissions stalled, forcing his once again to move elsewhere in the Empire. His voyage to Kingston, Jamaica, however; did not prove to be as fruitful, and he died soon after his arrival there in 1819.

Read more about Robert Field: Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online, Sandra Paikowsky's Robert Field, 1769-1819, 1978.

The Generic Game

Sometimes historical details aren’t necessarily required (gasp!) for one to appreciate and enjoy a work of art. Sometimes it takes time standing in front of work that you first thought was boring and not worth your time to see that perhaps it isn’t so bad after all. Later on, after you’ve been inspired, you can look up the particulars.

The masterminds at Project Muse have created “The Generic Game” to help those with no art or history backgrounds to appreciate various aspects of a work of art. The game works best if you play with a friend – or even with a stranger also looking at the same piece as you. Don’t forget, galleries and museums are social spaces, so don’t be afraid to talk about what you’re seeing. You can play the game with any work of art you like, but try it here with the painting below. Simply work through the easy (and slightly abbreviated) questions below:

Before the Storm, 1887

Homer Watson

Pre-game question: Do you like this work of art? Why or why not?

1) Look carefully at the work of art. What colours do you see?

2) What do you see in the work in front of you? Take turns listing objects.

3) What is going on in the work of art? List what you see, no matter how small.

4) Does anything you have noticed so far in this work remind you of something in your own life?

5) Is this art work true to life? How real has the artist made things look?

6) What ideas or emotions do you think this work expresses?

7) Do you have a sense of how the artist must have felt when he or she made this work? Does it make you feel one way or another?

8) Take a look at other works displayed around it. Do they look alike? What is similar about the way they look? How are they different? (Try comparing other images on this site)

9) What would you have called this work if you had made it yourself? Does the actual title of the work make sense to you?

10) Think back on your observations. What have you discovered from looking at this work? What have you learned about yourself or others?

Post-game question: Do you like this work of art? Why or why not?

Now, try answering the questions looking at a much more modern piece:

Joyce Wieland, Oh Canada, 1971.

If you feel any more attached or interested in these works after playing the game, or feel that you somehow know more about them than you did before you played - the game was a success. You'll have even more satisfaction playing with someone else, as you'll find that you'll learn more about that other person as well. I take the game with me every time I visit a gallery with a friend, as it makes the visit so much more meaningful.

"Dear Little Girls"

The Three Robinson Sisters, 1846

George Theodore Berthon

Painting, oil on canvas

I often receive questions about the identity of the young women in this piece.  Because the story behind the commissioning of this painting is so touching, I would like to share it with everyone here.

The three women (Augusta in black, Louisa in white, and Emily in pink) are daughters of Toronto-based Chief Justice Sir John Beverley Robinson.  Their fine dress, exacting curls and marble skin give away their membership to the ruling elite of the growing city. While Augusta has already been married, her two younger sisters are about to enjoy a double wedding day.  The three husbands (also of the ruling class) commissioned this portrait of their glowing brides with the intention of presenting the work to the girls’ parents on the day of the ceremony.  Sir Robinson later wrote to Berthon and praised the artist’s skill in rendering such a faithful depiction of his “dear little girls”.

Berthon, (b. Vienna, 1806, d. Toronto 1892) had been taught painting by his father who himself was a court painter to Napoleon Bonaparte. Berthon eventually immigrated to Toronto via England in 1844. With his training, skill, and obvious connections, he soon established himself as a portraitist for some of the most powerful families in Canada West – including the Robinsons.

You can see this nearly life-size ¾ portrait on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. For more information, visit The Canadian Dictionary of Biography or read Anne Newlands, Canadian Paintings, Prints and Drawings, 2007.

Berczy's Conversation Piece Absolutely Unique

William Berczy,  The Woolsey Family, 1809

William Berczy’s The Woolsey Family (1809) is undoubtedly on of his, nay, Canada’s masterpieces.  Despite the portrait’s many exceptional qualities, it is a work that has not received a great deal of in-depth academic attention. A re-examination of the portraits produced during Canada’s pre-Confederation history reveals, however, that Berczy’s work may be the only example of a family conversation piece; an elevation in status that ought to be recognised more broadly within Canadian history texts.

What is a conversation piece? “Conversation piece” is a mid-eighteen century term, still in use, to describe a portrait painting of small to moderate size showing two or more identifiable full-length figures engaged in informal conversation or other polite social activity, often in a detailed domestic, although sometimes in a landscape setting. Does the Woolsey Family portrait fit this definition? Perfectly.

Cornelius Krieghoff, Breaking Lent (detail), c. 1850s

There are other Canadian works that would appear to fit this classification, but because they lack one or more of the components of the definition they cannot be included. We must move forward to Cornelius Krieghoff in the 1850s and 1860s to find works that even come close. Breaking Lent appears to be a conversation piece, but because none of these figures are identifiable, and the home is likely a figment of the artist’s imagination, the work can only be considered a genre piece.

Cornelius Krieghoff, Flirting While Braiding Straw Hats, 1862

Another Krieghoff example, Flirting While Braiding Straw Hats shows a similar French Canadian family in their kitchen. This time, one of the individuals may be identified – the mother is speculated to be Krieghoff’s sister Emily. But because she is portrayed as a character rather than herself, and the remaining figures and setting are of the artist’s imagination, the work cannot be considered a conversation piece.

Read more about Berczy: National Gallery of Canada, Canadian Dictionary of Biography Online

Introducing CAHW

Look for something new each week (Mondays) as I post artist profiles, images, and institution highlights, as well as hints and tricks that will better enable you to understand and enjoy Canadian art.

The visual arts can be a window to our nation's past, and I will strive to fill in some of the information blanks to make historical works make sense. Oftentimes this information allows you to look at a painting with more emotion, and your attachment to it and its story becomes stronger. The opposite can be said for some contemporary works, where your emotions are immediately played upon by the evidence of brush strokes and use of colour, and only later does information show the piece to be far more technical and planned than earlier suspected.

In addition to posting topics inspired by my own experiences, I look forward to hopefully answering your questions about Canadian art. As well, if you've had an amazing experience with a work, or have had a visit to remember in one of Canada's many galleries, I'd love to pass on your story and pictures with my readers.

The first official post begins on Monday August 15, 2011 - Enjoy!