A remarkable new painting by Christopher Pratt joins the national collection

OTTAWA, May 21, 2014 /CNW/ – Argentia: The Ruins of Fort McAndrew: After the Cold War, a new painting by the great Canadian artist from Newfoundland, Christopher Pratt, is now in the national collection. Created in 2013, the painting was generously donated to the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) by a group of five donors, admirers of the artist’s work. The work of art is on view in Canadian Art gallery A112B.

“We are delighted that this beautiful and important new Pratt painting will have a permanent place in the National Gallery of Canada, where it can be seen and enjoyed by visitors to the Gallery for generations to come,” said Gisella Giacalone, owner and director of Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, on behalf of the five contributors, Giacalone herself, Margaret L. Marshall, R. Raso, W. J. Wyatt, and Scott Campbell.

“The National Gallery has been collecting Christopher Pratt’s work since 1961,” said NGC Director and CEO Marc Mayer. “For over fifty years, he has been a much beloved artist on the Canadian scene and one of our most significant painters.  We are particularly pleased to accept this remarkable gift to the nation and are most grateful to the donors.”

With this new acquisition, the NGC’s national collection now comprises 59 artworks by Christopher Pratt, including two drawings, four paintings, and 53 prints.

In 2005, the National Gallery of Canada marked Christopher Pratt’s 70th birthday with an exhibition highlighting the artist’s large-scale oil paintings.