William R. Watson (1887-1973) began working for an art dealer in Montreal in 1905 just two days after he arrived from England, and in 1908 he opened his own business. From the outset, he was eager to sell the work of Canadian painters – no small ambition at the time, for Montreal art collectors were still in the thrall of the European masters. But by the time Mr Watson retired in 1958, a revolution in taste had occurred, and Canadian artists could not produce enough canvases to meet the demand for their work. As the first art dealer consistently to encourage Canada’s painters, the Watson Art Galleries were a signal force in bringing about this change.
These are Mr Watson’s recollections of struggle and triumph, written late in life and edited by his daughters, Claire and Louise. They include good-humoured anecdotes and recollections of the art business, of collectors like William Van Horne and Harry Norton, and of the painters who became Watson’s friends – among them James W. Morrice, Maurice Cullen, Clarence Gagnon, Robert Pilot, M.A. Suzor Cote, A.Y. Jackson, and Arthur Lismer. One chapter is devoted to the author’s persistent search for the scattered paintings of Cornelius Krieghoff, a quest responsible for the eventual acclaim Krieghoff received.
The book is illustrated with photographs of the art centres and artists that Watson knew. Many of them he took himself. These attractive memoirs will appeal to those interested in Canadian art, and to those who enjoy a good story about figures in Canada’s cultural past.
