ABSTRACT
Landscape Representations of the Western
District (1788-1853), Upper Canada, and the Creation of Identity
Kamille Teresa Hudec
1996
The focus of this study is in the geographical
region in southern Ontario, Canada that encompasses Essex, Kent and Lambton Counties, and
which until 1853 was known as the Western District of Upper Canada. The Western District
was established in 1788 and existed as an entity until 1853, when the modern county
structure was established. Due to the valuable agricultural and geographically strategic
nature of the area, the Western District saw much in the way of action during the War of
1812-14 as well as during the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. As a result there was a
large military presence in the region, and many of the artists producing work in the area
were British military artists or topographers. The "creation of identity" in
landscape representations of the Western District is directly related to the artistic
training and background of the artists. As many of the artists producing work in Canada at
the time were British military personnel, the training received would have been
topographical in nature, heavily stained with precepts of the Picturesque tradition. The
actual landscape of Canada often did not lend itself readily to translation within these
precepts, however, and as a result there arises a question of fidelity to the view as it
actually is (was), and how it was depicted. In some cases this led to the imposition of
(British) ideals on the landscape, and to the creation of an identity for Canada which was
not native to it. This study intends to illustrate that license was indeed taken by
artists rendering landscape views of the Western District.
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