Early Views of British North America

Before photography, capturing images of the land was an important responsibility of artists. Early painters of the Canadian landscape ranged from independent professional artists, through topographers trained by the millitary, to interested amateurs. This exhibition includes over 40 works in watercolour, pastel, pencil and ink executed between 1804 and 1910 by professional and amateur artists active in "British North America", as it was then most often called. The images were selected from the permanent collection of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery by its director, Ian Lumsden, and the accompanying catalogue includes Mr. Lumsden's informative essay and annoted images of all the works. The exhibition has been organized and circulated by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery with financial support from Gardiner Reality Ltd.