DOI Heft:
No. 270 (September 1915)
DOI Artikel:Mortimer-Lamb, Harold: Canadian artists and the war
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21213#0279
Canadian Artists and the War
CANADIAN ARTISTS AND THE
WAR. BY IT. MORTIMER-
LAMB.
While perhaps even yet Canadians have failed
to realise adequately the stupendous significance
of the great struggle in Europe, or fully to appre-
ciate the extreme gravity of the crisis which con-
fronts the Empire, and in fact civilisation, never-
theless, broadly speaking, the Dominion has from
the first responded spontaneously and loyally to
the calls of duty and patriotism. Already the pick
of her young men, recruited from every class, are in
khaki. The Canadian soldiers fighting in Belgium
now exceed in numbers the total force that repre-
sented Britain in the Crimean War, and at home
the majority of the people are doing all that lies in
their power to be of service.
For over a year before the outbreak of hostilities
Canada experienced an industrial and financial
depression, following and consequent on a period
of exuberant and unwarranted inflation and specu-
lation. This condition, from which last summer
some recovery was just beginning to be made, was
considerably aggravated by the war, and all trades
and industries, with the exception only of those
contributing to the manufacture of munitions, have
been and still are very nearly at a standstill. In
consequence retrenchment and economy have
become obligatory throughout the country ; luxuries
of every nature have been eschewed, and Canadian
art, never too generously encouraged by local
patronage, has received even scantier support than
formerly. No class has been more severely hit by
the war than the artists ; none has shown a more
earnest disposition to be patriotically helpful to
the national and common cause. This has been
evinced in more than one direction. Some of the
painters have enlisted for active service, including
two of the most promising among the younger men,
namely, Randolph Hewton, who is serving with the
Second Canadian Contingent now in Europe, and
A. Y. Jackson, who has joined the Third Con-
tingent raised by the Dominion .
BY J. W. BEATTY, R.C.A.
259
“cloud shadows”
CANADIAN ARTISTS AND THE
WAR. BY IT. MORTIMER-
LAMB.
While perhaps even yet Canadians have failed
to realise adequately the stupendous significance
of the great struggle in Europe, or fully to appre-
ciate the extreme gravity of the crisis which con-
fronts the Empire, and in fact civilisation, never-
theless, broadly speaking, the Dominion has from
the first responded spontaneously and loyally to
the calls of duty and patriotism. Already the pick
of her young men, recruited from every class, are in
khaki. The Canadian soldiers fighting in Belgium
now exceed in numbers the total force that repre-
sented Britain in the Crimean War, and at home
the majority of the people are doing all that lies in
their power to be of service.
For over a year before the outbreak of hostilities
Canada experienced an industrial and financial
depression, following and consequent on a period
of exuberant and unwarranted inflation and specu-
lation. This condition, from which last summer
some recovery was just beginning to be made, was
considerably aggravated by the war, and all trades
and industries, with the exception only of those
contributing to the manufacture of munitions, have
been and still are very nearly at a standstill. In
consequence retrenchment and economy have
become obligatory throughout the country ; luxuries
of every nature have been eschewed, and Canadian
art, never too generously encouraged by local
patronage, has received even scantier support than
formerly. No class has been more severely hit by
the war than the artists ; none has shown a more
earnest disposition to be patriotically helpful to
the national and common cause. This has been
evinced in more than one direction. Some of the
painters have enlisted for active service, including
two of the most promising among the younger men,
namely, Randolph Hewton, who is serving with the
Second Canadian Contingent now in Europe, and
A. Y. Jackson, who has joined the Third Con-
tingent raised by the Dominion .
BY J. W. BEATTY, R.C.A.
259
“cloud shadows”