Fabrics of the Royal Mount

The fabrics of the Royal Mount owe to their realization with an architect of the time Aristide Beaugrand Champagne strong interested party with the history of the beginnings of the Canada. Also he saw the occasion, it at the time of the Grande Depression of the years 1930, at the same time to promote his field of interest and also to provide for the financial needs for the artists of his time. For this made, it called upon the artist then little known, Paul-Emile Borduas with which it entrusted the task to gather the Canadian artists most remarkable of the time. It around the same topic: history of the beginnings of the Canada.

The promoter first: Aristide Beaugrand Champagne

The fabrics of the Royal Mount owe their realization with an eminent architect of the last century, Aristide Beaugrand Champagne. In 1928, the town of Montreal entrusts to this architect the realization of the Large Country cottage of the Royal Mont. Impassioned history and of archeology, Beaugrand-Champagne counts today like one of the architects most famous of its time. Impassioned history, it worked within many organizations in historical heritage, in particular of the organizations interested in the beginnings of Canada. Within the Company of the Ten, It published many articles about Iroquoîens of the valley of the St. Lawrence. Aspect entered of Jacques Cartier in the Western Indies, he affirmed that Jacques Cartier had arrived to Hochelaga by the Rivière of the Meadows. More still, it identified a site where the Hochelaga village would have been located, it on the northern side of the Royal Mount.

When retained by the town of Montreal for the design of the Large Country cottage of the Royal Mount, it benefitted from this project intended to counter the harmful effects of the Great Depression of the years 1930 to promote its field of interest, the history while providing for the financial needs for the artists of its time. For this purpose, it made to call an artist then little known, Paul-Emile Borduas with whom it entrusted the task to gather the Canadian artists most remarkable of the time. It around the same topic: history of the beginnings of Canada.

The painter rassemblor, Paul-Emile Borduas

For its part, Paul-Emile Borduas, reserved the design of the fabrics on the more important subject and expensive in the middle of Beaugrand-Champagne:

(1) Entrée of the France the the Western Indies

(2) the plan of the village Hochelaga produces by Venice in 1556

(3) the island of the Royal Mount and the Fleuve the St. Lawrence produces by Samuel de Champlain in 1611

(4) the chart of City-Marie in 1672

(5) the chart of the possessions of the News-France before the treated of Paris - 1763

(6) the chart of Montreal in 1760.

Interesting thing, at the time of the design of the fabrics of the Royal Mount, this painter was still at his first hours. Later in its career, it initiated a major transformation of Canadian painting. In 1948, supported colleagues artists Claude Gauvreau, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Marcelle Ferron and Madeleine Arbor and others, it published the proclamation the total Refusal, a severe criticism of the culture Canadian-Frenchwoman. By doing this, it created a school of art nouveau, the automatism, which still today mark the field of art: in Canada. This publication to him been worth its reference of the School of the Piece of furniture of Montreal.

Eleven other painters selected

For the 11 other fabrics, Paul-Emile Borduas with the artists more for the time. It called upon Edwin H. Holgate for the scene of the departure of Cavelier de LaSalle towards China and the Indies. This explorer will reach finally the Baie of Matagorda in Texas. For the entry of Jacques Cartier in Hochelaga, he entrusted the design of the scene to the painter Adrien Hébert. Boudot and Cerceau was charged with the scene of the meeting of Jacques Cartier with the indigenous chief Agouhanna. For the famous scene, that of the arrival of Jacques Cartier on a mountain located in the vicinity that Jacques Cartier named Royal Mont, it entrusted the scene to the painter Alfred Faniel, a painter of Belgian origin. For the scene of the oath of Dollard of Ormeaux, it retained the services of the painter Raymond Pellus, well-known for stained glasses of church.

Robert Pilot was charged with the scene of the establishment of a cross on the Royal Mount. The painter Georges Delfosse recognized for the design of many religious scenes, in particular for that of the first mass called on the island of the Royal Mount to the Sault-with-Récollet the, it made entrusted the scene of the first mass called to the foundation of City-Marie in 1642. W.H. Taylor was seen entrusting the design of the scene of the foundation of the City-Marie colony to Paris. Thurstan Topham carried out the memorable scene of the combat of Dollard of Ormeaux to the Long Sault. The painter Marc-Aurèle Fort recognized for his rural scenes, in particular for the trees with generous dimensions produced the arrival in 1603 of Samuel de Champlain with the Rivière of the Meadows. Finally, Octave Bélanger carried out the scene of Samuel de Champlain with Royal Place, site of the Museum of Point-with-Callière.

These fabrics are important for better apprehending the beginnings of the Canada.

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