“Who can say what
a Canadian is?”

Robert Tombs  |  President, Royal Canadian Academy of Arts

Personae: Indigenous and Canadian Portraits 1861–2020

To coincide with the launch of its new website, which took place on July 30, 2020, the Portrait Gallery of Canada presented Personae: Indigenous and Canadian Portraits 1861–2020, its first online exhibition. 

We selected these works based on their artistic merit and after careful consideration of the many factors that come into play when exploring the Canadian identity, such as age, gender, ethnicity, geography, and social status. 

We thank advisory board member Robert Tombs for curating this exhibition and the artists and organizations who generously agreed to participate. Read the curator’s essay here.

Black and white profile photo of Gordon Kushner with receding hairline looking down to the right, his hand head rested in his right hand.

Stephen Stober (born 1955)
Portrait of Gordon Kushner, Professor Royal Conservatory of Music, 1997
Gelatin Silver Print
40.6 × 50.8cm (16 × 20 in.)

Black and white drawing of a sitting woman with braids face forward, her torso turned to the side, wearing a casual jacket,her right hand raised with two fingers making a "V" gesture. In the background are 3 bats flying, 2 owls roosting, and two wolves by her hips.

Wally Dion (born 1976)
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, 2020
Graphite on paper
47.125 × 37.25 inches

Sepia-toned photo of upper body of Dr. Kahente Horn-Miller, facing the camera, her right hand over heart, her left arm across her waist. She is wearing a light-coloured elbow length top and has tattoos below her elbows.

Christine Fitzgerald (born 1957)
Dr. Kahente Horn-Miller, 2019
Platinum print from wet collodion photographic plate
50.8 × 40.6 cm (20 × 16 in.)

Colour photo of upper body of a sitting man wearing suspenders over a shirt, his eyes closed. His young son leans over him from behind, his arms draped around his father. The background is a rural scene with trees, grass and white buildings.

Ruth Kaplan (born 1955)
Resident, Refugee Shelter, Toronto, 2018
Archival inkjet print
40.6 × 50.8 cm (16 × 20 in.)

Colour photo of a man with glasses and white make up on his face, dressed as Pierrot the clown, in a long white top with a big ruff at the neck, pom poms down the centre front, wide sleeves, and matching wide white pants and white shoes, a black and red brimless hat on his head. He is facing to the right and looking at a photo of a man on a clipboard that he is holding up. In front of him, to the right of the photo, are two waist-height piles of shallow boxes.

Arnaud Maggs (1926-2012)
After Nadar, Pierrot the Archivist, 2012
© Estate of Arnaud Maggs / courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery
Chromogenic print
96.5 × 74.9 cm (38 × 29.5 in.)

Sepia-toned photo of upper body of Kaniehtí:io Horn, standing facing the camera, long hair hanging down her front, her left arm in front across her waist. She is wearing a long-sleeved light-coloured top.

Christine Fitzgerald (born 1957)
Kaniehtí:io Horn, 2017
Platinum print from wet collodion photographic plate
50.8 × 40.6 cm (20 × 16 in.)

Colour photo of head and shoulders of a woman in semi profile looking to the left. Immediately behind are balcony railings, further in the distance, out of focus, are rooftops.

Ruth Kaplan (born 1955)
Resident, Refugee Shelter, Toronto, 2018
Archival inkjet print
40.6 × 50.8 cm (16 × 20 in.)

Almost full length colour photo of a woman standing slightly facing to the right, wearing blue short-sleeved dress with silver design over the upper part. She is holding a round mirror in front of her face. Behind her are colour fabrics and a window, and personal belonging are beside her.

Ruth Kaplan (born 1955)
Resident, Refugee Shelter, Toronto, 2018
Archival inkjet print
40.6 × 50.8 cm (16 × 20 in.)

Sepia-toned photo of Vivian sitting her body facing right, her head turned towards the camera, hands together in her lap. Long hair is draped around her shoulders, she wears a light-coloured long-sleeved top and dark pants. She appears to be outside but the background is out of focus.

Karen Stentaford (born 1977)
Vivian, 2019
Tintype
12.7 × 10.2 cm (5 × 4 in.)

Black and white photo of a Hasidic Rabbi, standing facing the camera against a grey background,hands clasped in front. He is wearing a long dark coat, a dark hat with a brim, glasses, and has a full beard.

Stephen Stober (born 1955)
Portrait of Hasidic Rabbi, Toronto, 1990
Gelatin silver print
38.1 × 38.1 cm (15 × 15 in.)

Two black and white photos of head and shoulders of Leonard Cohen. In the first photo he faces the camera, in the second he faces to the right. He is wearing an open-neck shirt and a dark jacket with a wool collar.

Arnaud Maggs (1926-2012)
Leonard Cohen, 1977
© Estate of Arnaud Maggs / courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery
Gelatin silver print
70.1 × 105.6 cm (27.6 × 41.6 in.)

Colour photo of two young girls on a beige couch. The girl to the left is sitting looking at a phone partially obscuring her face, the second girl in lying on the right with her knees against the other girl's back, and is looking down at a tablet computer she is holding in her left hand. Both girls are wearing jeans and casual tops, their hair in multiple braids.

Ruth Kaplan (born 1955)
After Roxham Road, 2019
Archival inkjet print
40.6 × 50.8 cm (16 × 20 in.)

Black and white photo of a man leaning against a dark-coloured Oldsmobile Toronado, wearing a tshirt and pants. There is a parking lot with many cars behind, and industrial chimneys and buildings.

Thaddeus Holownia (born 1949)
Untitled, from the series Headlighting 1974–1977
Gelatin silver contact print from paper negative
20.3 × 50.8 cm (8 × 20 in.)

Sepia photo of head and upper body of Kahentínehtha’ Horn, facing the camera, but her eyes looking to her left, against a light-coloured background. Her hands are over each other in front of her chest, her right hand on top. She is wearing a light-coloured blouse with a jacket or wrap with a diamond pattern.

Christine Fitzgerald (born 1957)
Kahentínehtha’ Horn, 2019
Platinum print from wet collodion photographic plate
50.8 × 40.6 cm (20 × 16 in.)

Black and white drawing of upper body of Michael J facing to the left, against a light background, wearing a dark long-sleeved top.

Peter Krausz (born 1946)
Michael J., 2012
Conté crayon on Mylar
133 × 92 cm (52.4 × 36.2 in.)

Black and white street photo of a man standing facing left partially reflected in a shop window. He is wearing glasses, a tweed coat with a fur collar, a hat with a brim. In the background a man is walking, there are cars and buildings. a lamp post, and a shop sign, all out of focus.

Peter Krausz (born 1946)
Montreal, the ’70s (window shopping), c. 1970s; printed in 2015
Inkjet on Hahnemühle paper
28 × 28 cm (11 × 11 in.)

Sepia-toned upper body photo of Alex standing facing the camera, with close-cropped dark hair, white glasses, and hand in pants pockets, wearing a dark sweater with a light zig zag pattern around the neck, cuffs and hem. In the background is a wide light-coloured wooden garage or shed door.

Karen Stentaford (born 1977)
Alex, 2013
Tintype
8.7 × 11.7 cm (3.4 × 4.6 in.)

Rough and scratched colour photo of Stephen Stober facing front holding up a small camera taking a photo in a reflective surface, with other cameras hanging from straps around his body. He is wearing dark clothes, brimless hat and glasses. In the immediate background 2 men walk by, behind them is a sports stadium and in the distance a large building under construction.

Stephen Stober (born 1955)
Self-portrait, National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2014
Inkjet digital print printed on baryta paper
27.9 × 35.5 cm (11 × 14 in.)

Black and white photo of large light-coloured tanker truck, with CANADA WEST INDIES MOLASSES CO. LIMITED written along the side, in the background is a large silo with a portion of the same text visible, and additional text reads 2 VILLIERS ST. A man is standing against the cab of the tractor, his right leg up on the cab step.

Thaddeus Holownia (born 1949)
Untitled, from the series Headlighting 1974–1977
Gelatin silver contact print from paper negative
20.3 × 50.8 cm (8 × 20 in.)

Sepia upper body photo of Inga with long curly blond hair over her shoulders, facing the camera, with a light background. She is wearing a dark coat with a fur collar, and is holding her hands up close to her body, and seem to be clasping her coat or something else between her hands.

Karen Stentaford (born 1977)
Inga, 2014
Tintype
23.8 × 18.7 cm (9.3 × 7.3 in.)

Colour profile photo of Robert Tombs facing left, wearing a prosthetic nose, of light-coloured material molded to his nose. His left hand covers the side of his face, and he is wearing a blue jacket.

Robert Tombs (born 1954)
Portrait of the Artist as Aubrey Beardsley (apologies to Frederick Evans), 1985
Chromogenic print
60.9 × 50.8 cm (24 × 20 in.)

Black and white photo of a woman seated in a chair with an ornately-carved back, her hands clasped in front, her right elbow propped on a pile of books. She is facing the camera with the head turned slightly to the right. She is wearing a long Victorian-dress of gingham check, with a white collar and a large broach at the neck, her hair pulled behind her head.

William Notman (1826-1891)
Unidentified woman, Montreal, QC, 1861
Silver salts on paper mounted on paper (Albumen process)
8.5 × 5.6 cm (3.4 × 2.2 in.)

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