From the mid-eighteenth to the late nineteenth century, prints were the only means of dispersing images of Canada. Because they could be captured and produced in significant numbers, the prints satisfied a population eager for scenes of a land of adventure, of critical military encounters, and of settlements that foretold peace and a prosperous future.
Artists obliged the demand for images that appealed to dreams and ambitions of those who would venture through Canada and those who called it home. At times wild and powerful, and sometimes inaccurate, artists created images that appealed to the temperament of the times.
The works in this exhibition are sourced exclusively from the EY Art Collection, one of the largest collections of original prints in private hands in Canada. Never before exhibited to the general public, these images cover a span of over one hundred years and include images of major events, exotic locales, and important individuals.
Capturing Canada provides an opportunity to see almost one hundred of these prints. An important part of the corporate art collection of EY, these works are being shown in 2014 as EY celebrates its 150th anniversary. Through dynamic images of Niagara Falls, our vast Arctic territories, major Canadian cities, and the building of the railway, Capturing Canada demonstrates the legacy of EY’s contribution to the history of both Canada and its art.