Three overseas exhibitions of Canadian art have already been held, in England at Wembley in 1924 and 1925 and in Paris at the Musée du Jeu de Paume in 1927. These dealt mainly with contemporary work. The present exhibition, however, has made possible a most representative showing of Canadian painting and sculpture, including all schools and all periods.
By the middle of the seventeenth century a flourishing school of ecclesiastical craftsmanship had been established in the St. Lawrence valley which brought artists from France to design and decorate with pictures and carvings the churches and seminaries of the Province of Quebec.
During the nineteenth century a more general expression of art gradually appeared based partly upon the abilities of Canadians who studied in Europe and partly upon the experience of newcomers who brought their own traditions with them. The artists of this period produced work of great importance not only in its own distinction but in the sound influence which it brought to bear on the development of painting in the Dominion.
In the early years of the twentieth century a determination appeared among the younger Canadian artists to attempt an interpretation of their country without undue reference to European styles and methods. The resulting movement has progressed and has found its inspiration in the brilliance and diversity of the seasons and the variety of the Canadian terrain.
Vincent Massey