Laura Muntz Lyall: Impressions of Women and Childhood by Joan Murray

8vo. pp. xi, 212. profusely illustrated. bibliography. index. boards. dw. Montreal & Kingston: Published for Boardwalk Ventures Inc. by McGill-Queen's University Press, [2012].

New.

ISBN-10: 0773540989 / ISBN-13: 9780773540989

In her lifetime, Laura Muntz (1860-1930) was the outstanding portraitist of women and children in Canada. In this in-depth look at Muntz's life and work, Joan Murray captures the nuance and sophistication of the artist's oeuvre.

Laura Muntz Lyall: Impressions of Women and Childhood showcases Muntz's world at an important time in Canadian art, revealing her relationship with contemporary figures, with her teachers and students, and her remarkable connection to her subjects. Trained in France and among the first Canadian women to earn a living as a professional artist and teacher, Laura Muntz imbued her Impressionist paintings with a striking, atmospheric treatment of light. Energetic and determined, Muntz created a large number of canvases, watercolours, pastels, and drawings that communicate a deep sympathy with her subjects - most often children or women with children. She realized early on that to gain recognition she would have to exhibit widely in Europe, Canada, and the United States and did so to considerable renown. As she continued her career in Toronto and Montreal, her works revealed a refined flair, inventiveness, and a rich sense of colour and layering. Despite the hardships of her personal life, Muntz continued to live and paint in Canada to the end of her days.

Laura Muntz Lyall: Impressions of Women and Childhood provides an extensive chronology and exhibition history, as well as the artist's own words in a selection of previously unpublished correspondence. Reproducing more than ninety works in colour, this book offers insight into the work of one of Canada's most important artists.