Pilgrimage to a River of Dreams

 Every few months we make a pilgrimage to the McMichael Gallery, the Canadian art collection in Kleinberg, Ontario. Getting there at the north end of Toronto isn't exactly a spiritual experience, given the nightmare GTA traffic but we always feel we're on holy ground when we arrive. The setting is gorgeous and I have never been disappointed by the exhibitions. This art museum is an Ontario treasure but don't let on to Premier Ford or it will be gone.

The primary draw for us this time was River of Dreams: Impressionism on the St. Lawrence, an exhibition of gorgeous paintings of regions along one of Canada's most impressive rivers. Here is a portion of the description: 

In the late 19th century, the Impressionist movement found a footing in Canada, and Quebec artists quickly responded with works of rare beauty and sophistication. Many Quebec artists trained in France during this period, carrying the pollen of European modernism back with them to Canadian soil. Landscape and city scenes were staples of their work, and this show will assemble a choice collection of master works that trace a journey from the bustling streets of Montreal—then Canada’s financial capital—down the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City and through the beloved Charlevoix region.

The exhibition offers not just a magisterial statement on the outstanding quality of Quebec painting, but also a glimpse into the heart and soul of a culture, seen through the eyes of her most beloved and foundational artists. The survey includes works by William Brymner, Ozias Leduc, James Wilson Morrice, Henrietta Mabel May, Robert Pilot, Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté, Maurice Cullen, Clarence Gagnon...

                              Robert Pilot (1898–1967), St. Patrick’s Church, Montreal, oil on canvas, 71.7 x 91.4 cm, 

                                                      Comsatec Inc. Photo: Heffel Fine Art Auction House.

As we moved from room to room two strong themes surfaced for me. 

One was the number of churches and church spires in these works, not surprising because they were often the tallest structures in communities, small and large. Quebec is a strongly secular society now, in part because of the reaction to the suffocating control of the Roman Catholic church for a couple of centuries. 

The second was that dozens, if not scores, of the paintings were Winter scenes, depicting a season that like the church is changing and receding into the background. We lament the end of Winter in Southern Ontario and while Quebec and Montreal still get a fair amount of snow, climate change is affecting how much and the dependability of that accumulation. 

There are plenty of other obvious differences in the scenes, given that they were painted a century ago or more. Yet these two aspects hit home most forcefully. 

I hope you can make your own pilgrimage to the McMichael, this exhibition, and a number of others that are really worthwhile.