City of Montreal, Canada

Joyner Fine Art, Selected Works from the Estate of the late Mrs. Ward C. Pitfield of Montreal, auction, Toronto, December 1, 1986, lot 20 Private Collection By descent to the present Private Collection

In 1849 Washington Friend embarked on a project to paint panoramic views of Canada and the United States. The artist spent the following two years travelling within the two countries, visiting and recording the landscapes of Montreal, Kingston, Toronto and the Niagara Region, amongst many others. The resulting artworks that Friend produced for this project were then included in an exhibition touring across North America and the United Kingdom. Friend’s sketches of the rugged wilderness of Canada and the United States impressed Queen Victoria, who selected one of the sketches for her personal collection.