1890-91.] TWELFTH MEETING. 23 



and an interim has passed in which little that was characteristically old 

 or new was produced, there has never been an absolute dearth of pictures 

 or of purchasers. Yet there was a long pause during the years when 

 colonial life allowed little leisure for the culture of the aesthetic, and little 

 means for its encouragement. Few artists remained. Paul Kane, the 

 famous explorer, was being forgotten and neglected. Sawyer and Cres- 

 well barely lived and have passed away ; Mr. Berthon's venerable hand 

 still does honour to the Toronto Law Society in portraits of our eminent 

 jurists. The Toronto Law Society, inheriting, as many of its members 

 do, both the blood and the traditions of the distinguished founders of 

 our local commonwealth, has kept alive the spirit of a generous age. 



The first, or Upper Canada Art Society, was formed in 1841, and 

 existed but a short time. The next was the Electoral Division Society, 

 which held a few exhibitions, offering competitive prizes to both profes- 

 sional and amateur artists. The Agriculture and Arts Association 

 assumed the patronage of the Fine Arts, and for years held the gauge of 

 professional merit. In 1873 was formed the distinctly professional group 

 known as the Ontario Society of Artists, and which, during these eighteen 

 years, has placed annually before the citizens of Canada the best work 

 of our artists. Two years before that date was formed the Art Associa- 

 tion of Montreal, and in 1880 was formed in Ottawa the Royal Canadian 

 Academy. The art of Canada to-day is a mingling of elements. 

 Though they are as truly Canadian as we who first saw the sun in our 

 own sky, yet among the fifty members of the Ontario Society of Artists 

 not more than six or eight are native Canadians. Not only are the 

 influences of the Old World evident in the work of most of our painters, 

 but even our native artists, whose schooling has been abroad, are disposed 

 to paint a Canadian sky with the haze of Western Europe. 



Mr. Forster referred to the recent awakening of a national sentiment 

 amongst Canadians as one of the most hopeful promises for the Art of 

 this country. And the establishment by both Government and citizens 

 of schools of industrial and fine art has in it the assurance of advance- 

 ment in the direction of national art. One of the greatest needs of our 

 country is a museum equipped with well-chosen specimens of the world's 

 art. 



Mr. Sherwood spoke of the necessity of infusing a national sentiment 

 into Canadian art. He referred to Paul Kane as an artist in whom the 

 spirit of nationalism was strong. He thought that a better day was 

 dawning, and that there was a splendid future for Canadian art. 



Mr. T. R. Clougher thought that one cause of the depressed state of 

 Canadian art was that we lacked art critics. There were g-ood critics and 



