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Art in Canada book cover.

Art in Canada Essay

Read a fresh perspective on the art in this land. 

Published to mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the commemorative volume Art in Canada by Marc Mayer offers a new way of looking at the history of art in our country. In his essay, the former Director of the National Gallery of Canada explores the ways in which art reflects shared history and helps shape identity, while also raising thorny questions on the role of art in Canada.

This online essay is taken from the Art in Canada publication, featuring 150 full-colour illustrations of works of art made in Canada, and available at the Gallery’s Boutique.   

 

Read more from Art in Canada

 Chapter 1: Redefining [Art] History.
Redefining
[Art] History
 
Chapter 2: Twelve Who Made a Difference.
Twelve Who Made a Difference
Chapter 3: Art World / Art Scene.
Art World /
Art Scene

 
Chapter 4: Art as Mirror.
Art as
Mirror

 
Chapter 5: Conclusion.
Conclusion
 
 

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    • Art in Canada Essay
      • Redefining [Art] History
      • Twelve Who Made a Difference
      • Art World / Art Scene
      • Art as Mirror
      • Conclusion
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Read more from Art in Canada

Redefining
[Art] History

Traditionally, the story of artmaking in Canada begins with the Baroque church decorations of the early French settlers.

Read

Twelve Who Made
a Difference

Art is made by artists, it won’t surprise you to learn, while art history is essentially a chronological list of their names.

Read

Art World /
Art Scene

Art is as social a phenomenon as anything else about us.

 

Read

Art as
Mirror

You can tell a great deal about a country by looking at its art and even more by analyzing it.
 

Read

Conclusion
 

Art museums should be places where the present can find itself in time and where the future can gain good counsel.

Read

Related Article

Books

New Narratives, Poetic Resonances — A Review of Art in Canada

Published to coincide with Canada’s sesquicentennial, Art in Canada by Marc Mayer, Director of the National Gallery of Canada, is unlike any previous survey of Canadian art and artists.
December 7, 2017

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