The Clan Fraser in Canada: Souvenir of the First Annual GatheringFraser, Alexander
History
The Clan Fraser in Canada: Souvenir of the First Annual Gathering
Fraser, Alexander
Clans -- Canada; Fraser family
EX-MAYOR FRASER, replying for the "Frasers in Art," said: Mr. Chairman
and Gentlemen,--Your committee, in selecting me to speak for our
clansmen in Art, acted of course on the assumption that I possessed the
necessary qualifications for the task. At the outset, however, I must,
in justice to all concerned, but more especially to the Frasers who have
won distinction in art, confess that my attainments in that department
are hardly such as to entitle me to a hearing in response to this
important toast. But I am to some extent emboldened and sustained by the
reflection that, as this is in a sense a family gathering, the
shortcomings of a Fraser will pass, if not unobserved, at least without
provoking unfriendly comment. Permit me then, on behalf of the artists
of our Clan, to thank you for the cordial and enthusiastic manner in
which you have received this toast. Among the many distinguished
clansmen who have, in almost every sphere of human endeavor and
usefulness, shed unfading lustre, not only upon our Clan, but upon
humanity in general, our artists have secured an honored place. Of
necessity, those of our Clan who have excelled in art are few in number;
indeed, the artists of the world and of the ages might almost find
standing room in this banquet hall. But our Clan has perhaps produced
its quota, and some of them have taken high rank. It is not my purpose
to mention the names of all; in fact, I am unable to name more than two,
viz., Charles Fraser and John A. Fraser. The former was a distinguished
portrait painter of South Carolina who died in 1860 at the age of 78
years. He left a large number of portraits, all of which are said to
have much artistic merit, and some of which have acquired considerable
historic value. Of Mr. John A. Fraser it is hardly necessary to speak
here. By his works we know him. A collection of Canadian paintings
without one or more of his masterly representations of Canadian scenery
would assuredly be incomplete. Let that suffice for our modern artists.
It occurs to me, as it must have done to us all at one time or another,
that our Clan must have produced great artists in the bygone ages.
Assuredly Greece and Italy did not produce _all_ the old masters. The
Fraser Clan nourished then and was of course represented in art; but,
just as in the newspaper--the product of the "art preservative"--there
is to be found an occasional artist who, impelled by modesty or an
exaggerated regard for his personal safety, uses a _nom de plume_--for
instance, "Junius," _Vox Populi_ or "A Disgusted Subscriber"--so there
were, I fancy, in the days of long ago, Frasers in art who unmindful of
posterity or perchance distrustful of their own powers, as genius so
frequently is, worked under cover of such names as Raphael, Leonardo da
Vinci, Michael Angelo, Canova, etc. A slight effort of the imagination
will enable a Fraser to accept this theory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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