Not to seek gold but to paint : the British Columbian views of William G.R. Hind

• Main Author: Fleming, Marnie Lynn
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/22029

In order to make more meaningful sense of William G.R. Hind's achievements, this thesis will consider a number of different issues. First of all, there is the vital question of Hind's relationship to the artistic milieu of Victorian England from which he emerged. In terms of both style and choice of subject matter his work bears obvious similarities to the products of contemporary English realism. The implications of Hind's allegiance to British trends must be examined. The first chapter will concern itself with the aspirations and attitudes characteristic of Victorian British art which are most relevant to Hind's personal development. An examination of British artistic and social criticisms will provide the background necessary for a fuller comprehension of Hind's insistence on the contemporary subject, particularly the theme of the labourer and his accomplishments. The second chapter will deal with the idea of British imperialism and emigration, issues with which Hind was directly concerned. As a further step in this investigation, the role of the pictorial illustrator, along with an analysis of British and Canadian attitudes toward British Columbia as expressed in books and periodicals will be discussed. The final chapter will concern itself with Hind's British Columbian images and what they tell us about his ideology and background as a product of mid nineteenth century England. Such an approach to William G.R. Hind will make it possible for us to understand his work better within a broad social and artistic milieu. === Arts, Faculty of === Art History, Visual Art and Theory, Department of === Graduate