Revisiting 19th Century Montreal with Duncan’s Watercolors

The McCord Stewart Museum will present the exhibition MONTRÉAL EN DEVENIR, featuring the works of 19th-century painter James Duncan, beginning June 2.

The museum invites us to discover the evolution of Montreal through Duncan’s magnificent watercolours, spread over five decades of artistic activity, from 1830 to 1880. This exhibition presents for the first time a hundred of his works, offering a unique immersion in 19th century Montreal.

At the end of the exhibition, the Iregular studio has digitally recreated Duncan’s works with the help of artificial intelligence, offering a revisited universe and imaginary landscapes of a bygone Montreal.

The exhibition highlights the artist’s different perspectives, which, when combined, give a vivid impression of Montreal and the reality as perceived by this Irish painter, who came to Montreal in his early twenties. From Mount Royal to Île Ste-Hélène, the visitor travels through the streets of the city to discover the daily life of residents and shopkeepers through privileged observation points.