Re-mapping Modernity: The Sites and Sights of Helen McNicoll (1879-1915)

Type of resource
Author/collaborator
Title
Re-mapping Modernity: The Sites and Sights of Helen McNicoll (1879-1915)
Abstract
Montreal artist Helen McNicoll garnered considerable acclaim during her short lifetime, but has been largely forgotten since her death. She undertook formal studies in painting at the Art Association of Montreal and the Slade School of Art in London, England. Inspired by the Impressionists and their experiments with the visual qualities of light, McNicoll painted landscapes, figure studies, seashore scenes, and genre scenes, most often in Quebec and France, and is known for her ability to depict the various effects of sunlight. Her subject matter frequently includes scenes of bonding between women and children, and is often dismissed as "intimate" and "feminine." The author argues that McNicoll's Impressionist depictions of sunlit beaches, open fields, and rural women at work may seem quaintly nostalgic, but these images can and should be seen as both representations of modernity and assertions of feminist thought. She points out that viewed within the context of tourism -- which has been theorized as a fundamentally modern activity -- her images appear modern in ways that have not traditionally been recognized.
Type
Master's Thesis
University
McGill University
Place
Montreal
Date
2005
Language
en
URL
Citation
Burton, Samantha. “Re-Mapping Modernity: The Sites and Sights of Helen McNicoll (1879-1915).” Master’s Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/thesescanada/vol2/QMM/TC-QMM-83172.pdf.
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