Four expert art historians on four notable Canadian artists.

Pay what you can.

HOMER WATSON

Dubbed “the Canadian Constable” by Oscar Wilde and beloved by Queen Victoria, Homer Watson (1855–1936) was one of the first artists to portray the landscapes he painted as specifically Canadian, rather than as a pastiche of European influences.

EMILY CARR

Emily Carr (1871–1945) was one of the first Canadian artists of national significance to emerge from the West Coast. Her resiliency and adventurous spirit led her to visualize depictions of the British Columbia landscape in a uniquely modern and spiritual manner.

BERTRAM BROOKER

Controversial and provocative, Bertram Brooker (1888–1955) spoke out against the Group of Seven and was censored for his art featuring nudity. Brooker was a Governor General’s Award–winning novelist, designer, and advertising executive. He was also one of Canada’s first abstract artists.

WILLIAM NOTMAN

William Notman (1826–1891) was the first Canadian photographer to build an international reputation by taking pictures of the most renowned people and places of his time. The scale and reach of his photographic output are unparalleled in nineteenth-century Canada.

Featuring

BRIAN FOSS on HOMER WATSON Brian Foss is a professor, curator, and the director of Carlton University’s School for Studies in Art and Culture.   SARAH MILROY on EMILY CARR Sarah Milroy is chief curator of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.   JAMES KING on BERTRAM BROOKER James King is a professor of English in the Department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University.   SARAH PARSONS on WILLIAM NOTMAN Sarah Parsons is an associate professor in Art History and Visual Culture at York University.

The Art Canada Institute gratefully acknowledges the sponsors of the 2018–2019 Canadian Online Art Book Project: Anonymous, Alexandra Bennett in memory of Jalynn Bennett, Consignor Canadian Fine Art, Kiki and Ian Delaney, Maxine Granovsky Gluskin and Ira Gluskin, Gershon Iskowitz Foundation, The Sabourin Family Foundation, Karen Schreiber and Marnie Schreiber, and Sandra L. Simpson.