Turn-of-the-century industrial and urban expansion contributed to an increasing commercial prosperity. The ensuing construction of lavish residencies and grand public buildings encouraged artists to produce large paintings of every kind. Individuals ordered portraits and decorative paintings for their homes and for theatres. Some Canadian artists petitioned civic and federal bodies to commission murals for public buildings. This art was often symbolic, personifying and embodying the new ideals of the Canadian Nation and her provinces.

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