Abstract

The Montreal art milieu of 1920 was conservative in nature and the Beaver Hall Group was formed, in part, in response to that local art scene. Essentially an exhibiting society, its members sought freedom of expression. The formation of the Group also coincided with a period in Canadian history when Canada was casting off its colonial ties to England. Consequently, a nationalist cultural agenda developed among members of the English-Canadian intelligentsia. One of the goals of this network was to strike a national note in Canadian art, an aspiration championed by the Toronto-based Group of Seven. Through the intermediary of Group of Seven member A. Y. Jackson, the Beaver Hall Group was affiliated with this movement. The Montreal Group, however, was short-lived (circa 1920-1922) and virtually disappeared from Canadian art historical texts until the late 1950s when it began to be presented as having consisted primarily of women artists. Research reveals, however, that while there was a large contingency of female members, history has largely ignored the male members who comprised the majority of the Group. In this thesis, the 1920 Montreal art scene is depicted and the Beaver Hall Group is placed within both local and national cultural contexts. Also, the issue of the Group's membership is discussed and a revised roster of members is proposed.