Author Description

"In the late nineteenth century, France and in particular Paris became the destination of choice for artists from around the world. By then Paris was the centre of the art world offering a wide range of inspiring contexts and opportunities for artists. Many Canadians including our own Hamilton-born William Blair Bruce joined others hoping to absorb the French influence and, most especially, be selected to show among the best at the Paris Salons. The current exhibition - a premiere in bringing these works together - focuses on the work of Canadian artists shown at the Paris Salons side by side with French masters such Léon Bonnat, Alexandre Cabanel, Benjamin Constant, and Jean-Léon Gérôme, all of whom are represented in our Tanenbaum Collection. It is well worth noting that to our knowledge the AGH holds more individual Canadian works exhibited in the nineteenth-century Salons than any other institution in this country." -- from the foreword by Louise Dompierre, page 7.