National Gallery of Canada

The National Gallery of Canada (French: Musée des beaux arts du Canada), located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.

Related Topics:
Ottawa, Ontario - Canada - Art galleries

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The Gallery is housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a spectacular view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was designed by Moshe Safdie and opened in 1988. The Gallery's former director Jean Sutherland Boggs was chosen especially by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to oversee construction of the national gallery and museums.

Related Topics:
Sussex Drive - Parliament Hill - Moshe Safdie - 1988 - Jean Sutherland Boggs - Pierre Trudeau

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The Gallery has a large and varied collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and photographs. Although its focus is on Canadian art, it holds works by many noted European artists. It has a strong contemporary art collection with some of Andy Warhol's most famous works. In 1990 the Gallery bought Barnett Newman's Voice of Fire for $1.8 million, causing a storm of controversy as the painting was no more than three strips of paint. Since that time its value has appreciated sharply, however. In 2005 it acquired a painting by Italian Renaissance painter Francesco Salviati for $4.5 million.

Related Topics:
Contemporary art - Andy Warhol - 1990 - Barnett Newman - Voice of Fire - 2005 - Francesco Salviati

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The Canadian collection holds works by Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven as well as Emily Carr and Alex Colville.

Related Topics:
Tom Thomson - Group of Seven - Emily Carr - Alex Colville

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The Gallery organizes its own exhibits which travel across Canada and beyond, and hosts shows from around the world, often co-sponsored with other national art galleries and museums.

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The Gallery's collection has been built up through purchase and donations. Much of the collection was donated, most notable are the British paintings donated by former Governor General Vincent Massey and that of the Southam family.

Related Topics:
Vincent Massey - Southam

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