There is no doubt but that the idea of Canadian clubs has been wonderfully successful, for they have given the busy business men one day in each week to enjoy lunch at a reasonable price and then listen for twenty or thirty minutes to the best man who happened to be in the city at that moment or to have been specially invited for the purpose. It has brought its members into personal touch with the great leaders of thought and those who control the destinies of the British Empire, and because of its national character it has been a large factor in breaking down class and racial prejudices that have too often been a jarring note in the progress of Montreal.
III. ARTISTIC ASSOCIATIONS
A great influence in the intellectual and artistic life of the City of Montreal has been gradually brought about by the church amongst the French section, and amongst the English by little coteries of friends meeting first at private houses and as the circles became larger, in more public places. In this way the Cultural Associations of Montreal arose.
In a number of the societies, such as the Antiquarian and Numismatic Society, the two races have been brought together, but generally speaking each race has developed mentally and socially along its own lines, insufficiently co-mingling even on intellectual and artistic grounds.
But while there is no amalgamation of the two races there is great respect and harmony, mutual admiration, imitation and assimilation, unless this state is upset by self-interested demagogues, and it is in this tacit understanding that they have built up side by side many French and English libraries, and literary, artistic and musical societies, the influence of which has considerably raised the mental standard of Canada’s commercial metropolis. While, however, there is to be deplored a certain weakness through the want of concentration, yet it is somewhat productive of a healthy rivalry and a varied viewpoint. More fusion, however, would be mutually advantageous, to gain the fullest advantage from the juxtaposition of the heritors of two great racial civilizations in one city.
ART
Art in Montreal can be divided into four periods, each having its own influence, not only on the people of the time and on the private collections, but on the work of local artists, many of whom, until late years, were never able to study the great collections of Europe. The first period might be termed the church influence, for during the earliest part of the French régime the Jesuit records indicate the fact that a number of the earliest missionaries, men of learning and culture, did not neglect art or music in bringing their Indian neophytes under the spell of Christianity. Several of the Montreal Jesuits were no mean artists or musicians. The members of the earliest religious corporations also brought out works of art in furniture and altar ornaments. Thus in the Catholic churches of the provinces there are many fine pieces of decoration which were designed in Europe of the sixteenth century. Later when the French became more settled in New France, the officers, both military and civil, brought out their families, who in addition to bringing out the family paintings and decorations introduced the culture of old France. In addition art began to be taught in the earliest technical schools, one of which, the classes of the Fréres Charron of Montreal followed somewhat the example of the first technical school established by Bishop Laval outside Quebec. This might be termed the second period. The third began soon after the conquest, 1670, when, with the arrival of British officers and officials, British art was introduced, not in specimens alone, for it was found that amongst the officers of the engineers and artillery there were a number of good artists who soon mixed with the local art lovers. Thus they helped in forming in 1847 an art society under the name of the “Montreal Society of Artists” which gave a modest exhibition to initiate the “Montreal Gallery of Pictures.” The second exhibition was held in 1857 in the Bonaventure Hall under the auspices and direction of the Mercantile Library Association. The artists represented at this exhibition were Cooper, David Cox, Kneller, Guido, Jan, Steen, Reynolds, Raphael, Vinci, Rubens, Van Dyke, Titian, Lawrence and Watteau. This being from local collections shows something of the love of good pictures by the wealthy Montrealers of that day even if only copies of these masters were available.
The fourth period is now with us.
The Society of Artists in 1860 believing that the time had come for broadening its sphere of usefulness invited lovers of art as well as artists to join them and “The Art Association of Montreal” thus became formed. The act to incorporate this new venture was assented to on April 23, 1860, at the request of the Rt. Rev. Francis Fulford, Lord Bishop of Montreal, the Rev. William T. Leach, William H.A. Davies, Thomas D. King, Esquires, and others. Five years afterwards the association formed itself into an Art Union, and in the same year published a catalogue with articles on Oil Painting, Water Colours and Engraving, by F.T. Palgrave, reduced from the art catalogue of the great London Exhibition of 1862. The principal feature of the exhibition held in 1867 was a number of water colours by the Montreal Sketching Club, including two by Alfred Rimmer who afterwards made a reputation by his beautiful book illustrations of English country life. In the following year the Society of Canadian Artists held its first exhibition in the Gallery of the Art Association, then in a large room at the Mercantile Library Building. The seventh exhibition of the association in 1872 was also held in the same building, while in 1878 the eighth was held in the Windsor Hotel. By the magnificent gift of Benaiah Gibb the Art Association was enabled to have its own building on Phillip’s Square. On the completion of the building in 1879 an exhibition was held to celebrate the opening. Mr. Gibb’s munificence gave a great impetus to art in Montreal both then and when he died in the following year, bequeathing his valuable collection, consisting of seventy-two pictures and four bronzes to the Art Association in trust for the citizens of Montreal. In the earlier part of the same year (1880) a loan collection of oil paintings had been held including two sketches by H.R.H. Princess Louise, wife of the governor general who had opened the art gallery. The J.W. Tempest bequest in 1892 of $80,000 has also been one of the God-sends to the association. He also left a very valuable collection of pictures containing some very fine work.