Andrea Kunard

The variety, width and breadth of photographic culture in Canada is extraordinary, and Canadian photographers are among the most prominent and influential in the world today. From classic street photography, documentary images and landscape imagery, to experimental abstractions and conceptual work, photography is an area of particularly rich exploration in our country. Photography in Canada 1960–2000 is the fifth in a series that presents the Gallery's Photographs Collection, and this catalogue is the first to be published by the newly established Canadian Photography Institute (CPI).

Featured artists: Raymonde April, Roy Arden, Barbara Astman, Claire Beaugrand-Champagne, Pierre Boogaerts, Robert Bourdeau, Jim Breukelman, Robert Burley, Edward Burtynsky, Michel Campeau, Serge Clément, Lynne Cohen, Sorel Cohen, Carole Condé, Marlene Creates, Donigan Cumming, Walter Curtin, Jack Dale, Robert Del Tredici, Stan Denniston, Jennifer Dickson, Lutz Dille, Evergon, Charles Gagnon, Pierre Gaudard, General Idea, Tom Gibson, Lorraine Gilbert, Rafael Goldchain, Rodney Graham, Ted Grant, Angela Grauerholz, Clara Gutsche, Dave Heath, Fred Herzog, Hubert Hohn, Thaddeus Holownia, George Hunter, Geoffrey James, Yousuf Karsh, Holly King, Suzy Lake, Michel Lambeth, Ken Lum, Chris Lund, Arnaud Maggs, John Massey, John Max, Susan McEachern, David McMillan, N.E. Thing Co. (NETCO), Shelley Niro, Nina Raginsky, John Reeves, Mark Ruwedel, Jacye Salloum, Michael Semak, Orest Semchishen, Sandra Semchuk, Michael Snow, George Steeves, Gabor Szilasi, Sam Tata, Jeff Thomas, Diana Thorneycroft, Serge Tousignant, Larry Towell, Bill Vazan, Jeff Wall, Ian Wallace, and Jin-me Yoon.

Paperback | 176 pages
20.5 x 26.5 cm (8 x 10 ½ in.)
Publication Date: 2016

Lori Pauli, Marta Weiss, Ann Thomas, Karen Henry

Since the earliest days of photography, artists have directed models posing before the camera and, through the use of theatrical props, costumes, and lighting, have created "staged" photographs that tell a story. Acting the Part is the first major history of this enduring and highly creative branch of photography. Beautiful illustrations range from the earliest salted paper prints and daguerreotypes to today's digitally manipulated images. The book also presents 57 short biographies of the genre's leading practitioners, including Oscar Rejlander, Julia Margaret Cameron, Lewis Carroll, Man Ray, Duane Michals, Les Krims, Jeff Wall, Yasumasa Morimura and Wang Qingsong, among others.

Softcover & Hardcover | 176 pages
28.5 x 23.5 x 1.5 cm (11.2 x 9.3 x 0.6 in.)
Publication Date: 2006

René Villeneuve

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Laurent Amiot redefined religious, domestic and commemorative silversmithing, turning it into an art form. Produced in conjunction with the first retrospective devoted to one of Canada’s finest silversmiths, this stunning, richly-illustrated catalogue explores the quality and importance of Amiot’s oeuvre while providing a fresh perspective on the history of the society he helped shape and define.

Hardcover | 256 pages
26 x 31 cm (10.2 x 12.2 in.) 
Publication Date: 2018

René Villeneuve

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Laurent Amiot redefined religious, domestic and commemorative silversmithing, turning it into an art form. Produced in conjunction with the first retrospective devoted to one of Canada’s finest silversmiths, this stunning, richly-illustrated catalogue explores the quality and importance of Amiot’s oeuvre while providing a fresh perspective on the history of the society he helped shape and define.

Hardcover | 256 pages
26 x 31 cm (10.2 x 12.2 in.) 
Publication Date: 2018

Erika Dolphin
with Jonathan L. Meakins

Le cosmos des collectionneurs. La Collection d’estampes Meakins–McClaran provides a glimpse into the making of what is, undoubtedly, the foremost private collection of 16th and 17th-century Dutch and Flemish prints in Canada. While that is the strength of the collection, there is also a joyful touch of eclecticism reflecting the Renaissance interests of the collectors Dr. Jonathan Meakins and Dr. Jacqueline McClaran.

In this beautiful and fully illustrated catalogue, Dr. Meakins takes us through the collection’s history, which began forty years ago in Paris following an afternoon in a room full of prints by Camille Pissarro at the Grand Palais. He reflects upon how a collection is never static; it ebbs and flows much like life. The other essay by Erika Dolphin, a personal account of her exploration of the collection, examines the flourishing of images of landscape in northern Europe and illustrates how art in the form of a humble print can lead us to reflect upon the myriad wonders of life.

Softcover | 216 pages
24.5 x 30 cm (9.6 x 11.8 in.)
Publication Date: 2021

Hope B. Werness

Piet Mondrian’s chrysanthemums, Faith Ringgold's sunflowers, Georgia O'Keefe's black iris, Salvador Dalí's narcissus, Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin—these are just a few of the many exemplary pairings featured in Le fabuleux langage des plantes that offer a unique, artistic interpretation of a plant’s essence. This visually captivating survey from Hope Werness is arranged thematically by the trees, flowers, fruit, vegetables, spices, grasses, grains, and vines that have served as a root for artistic inquiry across time. Le fabuleux langage des plantes deepens our understanding of plants through the lens of artistic expression, bringing a new context to an ever-enduring love of nature.

Hardcover | 240 pages
17.8 x 23 cm (7 x 9 in.) 
Publication date: 2025

Martina Weinhart

With contributions by Rebecca Herlemann, Ruth Phillips, Carmen Robertson, Jeff Thomas, Georgiana Uhlaryik, Reneée van der Avoird, Martina Weinhart and Interviews with Lisa Jackson and Caroline Monnet

In the early 20th century, artists such as Emily Carr, Tom Thomson, and members of what would become the Group of Seven, transformed Post-Impressionism techniques into exciting new ways of interpreting the Canadian landscape.

Challenging existing traditions, they left major cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver and ventured deep into the Canadian wilderness. Often remaining in the bush for weeks on end, they reimagined the natural world using bold colours, stylized forms, and dynamic brushwork, producing vibrant modernist works that would define Canada and Canadian art for decades to come.

Premiering at Frankfurt’s Schirn Kunsthalle, Magnetic North features 87 works of art, including 23 works from the National Gallery of Canada. The exhibition also comprises five films, including two by contemporary Indigenous artists: How a People Live, a documentary by filmmaker Lisa Jackson and Mobilize, a short film by artist Caroline Monnet.

Magnetic North was organized by the SCHIRN KUNSTHALLE FRANKFURT, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the National Gallery of Canada, with the generous support of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Hardcover | 240 pages
23.5 x 27.5 cm (9.25 x 10.82 in)
Publication Date: 2021

Camille Jouneaux

When she became interested in painting, the author would visit museums and wonder about all the information she was missing. How did one style develop after another? What meanings were hidden in these works? What were these artists’ lives like? How did their works survive for so many years? She longed for the kind of essential knowledge that would enable her to decode a painting loaded with references. The result of her curiosity is a highly accessible and vividly illustrated book that brings together the fundamentals of eight centuries of art. It covers the basics about such topics as how museums are structured, how painters use proportion and perspective, the anatomy of a painting.

Jouneaux offers surprising comparisons between artists such as Sandro Botticelli and Mary Cassatt, Claude Monet and Joan Mitchell, Delacroix and Rubens. Terms such as Baroque, Ukiyo-e, Graffiti, Cubism, Degenerate Art, and De Stijl are explored and explained. Non-western traditions are given much greater prominence than in other art history books – Chinese, Indian, Australian Aboriginal, and African Art are all included in the timeline. Numerous women artists who were overlooked during the author’s own education are restored to the canon. Accompanying the unpretentious but authoritative texts are hundreds of illustrations, reproductions, timelines and sidebars.

Hardcover | 396 pages
19.7 x 23.8 cm (7.7 x 9.4 in.) 
Publication date: 2025

Camille Jouneaux

When she became interested in painting, the author would visit museums and wonder about all the information she was missing. How did one style develop after another? What meanings were hidden in these works? What were these artists’ lives like? How did their works survive for so many years? She longed for the kind of essential knowledge that would enable her to decode a painting loaded with references. The result of her curiosity is a highly accessible and vividly illustrated book that brings together the fundamentals of eight centuries of art. It covers the basics about such topics as how museums are structured, how painters use proportion and perspective, the anatomy of a painting.

Jouneaux offers surprising comparisons between artists such as Sandro Botticelli and Mary Cassatt, Claude Monet and Joan Mitchell, Delacroix and Rubens. Terms such as Baroque, Ukiyo-e, Graffiti, Cubism, Degenerate Art, and De Stijl are explored and explained. Non-western traditions are given much greater prominence than in other art history books – Chinese, Indian, Australian Aboriginal, and African Art are all included in the timeline. Numerous women artists who were overlooked during the author’s own education are restored to the canon. Accompanying the unpretentious but authoritative texts are hundreds of illustrations, reproductions, timelines and sidebars.

Hardcover | 360 pages
19.7 x 23.8 cm (7.7 x 9.4 in.) 
Publication date: 2024

Denise Leclerc 

Les années soixante au Canada follows the trends in Canadian artistic production during that decade which tested the conventional boundaries of artistic disciplines; photographic works also testify to the experimentation and eclectisicm that characterize Canadian photography. Nearly 180 featured works by Canadian artists pinpoint the diversity of artistic expression throughout this remarkably prolific period. 

Paper | 188 pages
23 x 28 cm (9 x 11 in.) 
Publication Date: 2005 
Only available in French.

Jonathan Shaughnessy, Heather Anderson, Andrea Kunard, Christine Lalonde, Ann Thomas

Les bâtisseurs. La biennale canadienne 2012 is the National Gallery of Canada’s second exhibition of new Canadian art acquired over the past two years, and features over 100 paintings, sculptures, drawings, videos and multimedia installations created by more than forty artists. In placing emergent practices alongside long-established Canadian artists who have been instrumental in “building” a context for Canadian art today, Builders offers the opportunity to appreciate the range of aesthetic accomplishment in this country.

FEATURED ARTISTS: Vikky Alexander, David Altmejd, Benoit Aquin, Melanie Authier, Jim Breukelman, Michel de Broin, Edward Burtynsky, Lynne Cohen, Chris Cran, Max Dean, Susan Dobson, Marcel Dzama, Brendan Fernandes, Robert Fones, Will Gorlitz, Terence Gower, David Ross Harper, Faye Heavyshield, Dil Hildebrand, David Hoffos, Simon Hughes, Elisapee Ishulutaq, Sarah Anne Johnson, Brian Jungen, Myfawny MacLeod, Qavavau Manumie, Lynne Marsh, Scott McFarland, Jason McLean, Michael Merrill, David Merritt, Evan Penny, Sandy Plotnikoff, Jon Pylypchuk, Leslie Reid, David K. Ross, Mark Ruwedel, Michael Snow, Mark Soo, Derek Sullivan, Ron Terada, Joanne Tod, Stephen Waddell, Daniel Young and Christian Giroux.

Paper | 182 pages
23 x 30.5 cm (9 x 12 in.) 
Publication Date: 2012

Bonnie Devine

Daphne Odjig's contributions to art in Canada began with her early drawings documenting the lives of indigenous peoples in northern Manitoba. Her work has since become recognized internationally and she has received numerous honours and awards in acknowledgment of her stature. Les Dessins et Peintures de Daphne Odjig is an important contribution to the analysis, understanding and celebration of Daphne Odjig's magnificent paintings and drawings, and serves to establish her place among the greatest artists in Canada.

Paperback | 141 pages
20.3 x 28 cm (7.9 x 11 in.) 
Publication date: 2009 

Only available in French

This recently published 192-page bilingual catalogue presents the official program for the tenth edition of Manif d'art - La biennale de Québec. As a formal and theoretical documentation of this tenth edition of the event, it contains essays by international curator Steven Matijcio, artists Jonathan Allen and Skawennati, and sociologist and art historian Maxime Coulombe. 

Hardcover | 192 pages 
22.2 x 24.8 cm (8.7 x 9.7 in.) 
Publication Date: 2022

Douglas E. Schoenherr

The David Lemon Collection represents a comprehensive selection of British prints, comprising over 200 works from 1820 to 1955. Lignes exploratoires illustrates 89 original and reproductive etchings by remarkable British artists such as William Blake, Samuel Palmer, Laura Knight and Graham Sutherland. 

Paper | 180 pages 
23 x 30.5 cm (9 x 12 in.) 
Publication Date: 1997

Douglas E.Schoenherr

The David Lemon Collection represents a comprehensive selection of British prints, comprising over 200 works from 1820 to 1955. Lines of Enquiry illustrates 89 original and reproductive etchings by remarkable British artists such as William Blake, Samuel Palmer, Laura Knight and Graham Sutherland.

Paper | 180 pages 
23 x 30.5 cm (9 x 12 in.)
Publication Date: 1997

Richard Van Camp and Julie Flett

Richard Van Camp, internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling author of the hugely successful Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns, has partnered with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett to create a tender board book for babies and toddlers that celebrates the potential of every child. With its delightful contemporary illustrations, Little You is perfect to be shared, read or sung to all the little people in your life—and the new little ones on the way!

Board book | 24 pages 
Publication Date: 2013

René Villeneuve

George Ramsay, Ninth Earl of Dalhousie, served as Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia (1816-1820), then as Governor-in-Chief of British North America (1820-1828). During his 12 years in Canada, Dalhousie both commissioned and collected a stunning variety of artworks. Featuring some 130 works from his collection, this exhibition catalogue underscores the patron's unique point of view and his influence on the development of art in Canada. Dalhousie's original eye and diverse interests are highlighted by the array of watercolours and wash drawings, engravings and lithographs, silhouettes, architectural drawings, models, and decorative pieces.

Paperback | 200 pages
24.7 x 27.3 cm (9.7 x 10.7 in.) 
Publication Date: 2008

René Villeneuve

George Ramsay, Ninth Earl of Dalhousie, served as Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia (1816-1820), then as Governor-in-Chief of British North America (1820-1828). During his 12 years in Canada, Dalhousie both commissioned and collected a stunning variety of artworks. Featuring some 130 works from his collection, this exhibition catalogue underscores the patron's unique point of view and his influence on the development of art in Canada. Dalhousie's original eye and diverse interests are highlighted by the array of watercolours and wash drawings, engravings and lithographs, silhouettes, architectural drawings, models, and decorative pieces.

Paperback | 200 pages
24.7 x 27.3 cm (9.7 x 10.7 in.) 
Publication Date: 2008

Fausto Gilberti 

Louise Bourgeois was a world-famous artist who told stories of her life through her art until she was 98 years old. She drew, wove, and sculpted pieces inspired by her experiences, often using everyday objects that reminded her of her family and her past.

Her famous giant spiders fascinate – and sometimes terrify – art lovers to this day, but the truth behind the inspiration for these towering sculptors is not as scary as it may seem. This is an inspiring story about a young girl who became the first female sculptor to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York – a unique picture-book celebration for children of one of the most important modern and contemporary woman artists of our time. 

Ages 4 to 7 
Hardcover | 48 pages 
21.6 x 21.6 cm (8.5 x 8.5 in.) 
Publication Date: 2023

Fausto Gilberti 

Louise Bourgeois was a world-famous artist who told stories of her life through her art until she was 98 years old. She drew, wove, and sculpted pieces inspired by her experiences, often using everyday objects that reminded her of her family and her past.

Her famous giant spiders fascinate – and sometimes terrify – art lovers to this day, but the truth behind the inspiration for these towering sculptors is not as scary as it may seem. This is an inspiring story about a young girl who became the first female sculptor to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York – a unique picture-book celebration for children of one of the most important modern and contemporary woman artists of our time. 

Ages 4 to 7 
Hardcover | 48 pages 
21.6 x 21.6 cm (8.5 x 8.5 in.) 
Publication Date: 2023