FAR FROM HOME: Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry 110 Years of Art
October 3, 2024 – February 17, 2025
Exhibition Details
Curated by LCol Bill Bewick (Retd)
Far from Home traces the course of the Regiment’s 110 years of full-time service to Canada during war and peace. The Regiment was raised and initially funded by Montreal philanthropist Hamilton Gault, becoming fully populated in the short space of a few weeks with men who had been selected based upon their exceptional physical fitness and previous military or police service. Many of these recruits were drawn from Western Canada, giving the Regiment a distinctly western flavour. As a result of their readiness the Patricia’s landed in France on 21 December 1914, making them the first and only Canadian infantry regiment in a theatre of war during 1914.
Most of works in this 110th anniversary exhibition were created by artists, whether amateur or professional, who were present on the contested ground where depicted events occurred. These men and women were often soldier participants in the conflicts, such as Jack MacLaren, who was a Corporal in the Patricia’s on active duty in France and Belgium, when he painted the WW I watercolours featured in this show.
Other notable artists include Charles Comfort and Gertrude Kearns, CM, both Canadian civilians who completed, respectively, the famous Sergeant Ford watercolour in theatre during the WW II Italian Campaign, and the Afghanistan-based Art of Command portrait series.
A highlight of this show is the large paintings by Bill (William) MacDonnell which comprise the finished product of sketches and photos collected during his time in the Balkans, while the Yugoslav Wars were raging in the 1990s. Other contributing artists were civilians, granted special authority to visit conflict areas, where they also risked physical injury or death in pursuit of their creative goals.
Far From Home covers not only all the major global conflicts in which the Patricia’s have been involved since 1914, but also demonstrates the value of art in both recording and interpreting our nation’s history.
Image Gallery