First World War masterpieces in final phase of conservation

First World War masterpieces in final phase of conservation — completion date February 2007 at the Canadian War Museum

Since then, the Friends of the Canadian War Museum (FCWM) have provided more than $232K to conserve a total of eight works of art from funds raised through their ongoing campaign “Passing the Torch,” which supports CWM activities.

“The support of the Friends has been fantastic!” said Mr. J. (Joe) Geurts, Director and CEO of the Canadian War Museum. “Without their commitment and generosity these historic masterpieces could not have been conserved.”

In the coming years, the Friends of the Canadian War Museum (FCWM) will continue their efforts to raise funds for projects such as the refurbishing of key military vehicles and artifacts, education programs, collections acquisitions and conservation.

The Museum’s extraordinary collection of 13,000 works of Canadian war art — known as the Beaverbrook Collection of War Art — includes 30 large First World War canvases by artists such as Richard Jack, Alfred Munnings, Homer Watson, and Norman Wilkinson. Because of their size, the artworks suffered from inadequate storage conditions over decades. Once conservation is completed early next year, all of the large First World War paintings on display will finally have been restored and an important part of Canadian military history preserved.

The Canadian War Museum plans to restore the 13 remaining large First World War paintings — currently stored in the Museum’s environment-controlled art vault — in the near future.

From now through February, visitors will be able to watch four major artworks undergo conservation. The paintings are No Man’s Land by Maurice Cullen, Battlefields of Ypres by David Young Cameron, Canadians Arriving on the Rhine by Inglis Sheldon-Williams, and Canadian Foresters in Windsor Park by Gerald Moira. (Further information on these four works can be found in the background document below.)

Visitors will be able to see the paintings’ original colours and details emerge from the canvas. They will have the opportunity to talk with the conservators about the specialized work required and learn more about the particular challenges involved in conserving artworks of this size, age and significance.

Mr. J. (Joe) Geurts remarked that visitors have shown great interest in watching museum work that is usually done behind-the-scenes. “We want to make the Canadian War Museum’s collections and activities as accessible to the public as possible,” he said, “and by having the conservators work in public view, everyone gains greater appreciation for the work of the Museum and for the works of art.”

Restoration work has been scheduled to allow visitors to see the conservators in action every week from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and Thursdays from 1 until 8 p.m.

The Canadian War Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays until 9 p.m. Admission is free on Thursday evenings from 4 p.m. until closing.

Additional information about the Canadian War