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The Death of General Wolfe

Benjamin West
The Death of General Wolfe (Detail), 1770
oil on canvas
152.6 x 214.5 cm
Transfer from the Canadian War Memorials, 1921 (Gift of the 2nd Duke of Westminster, England, 1918)
National Gallery of Canada (no. 8007)

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Exhibitions

Janet Cardiff: Forty-Part Motet

17 Dec 2011 - 26 Aug 2012

Winner of the Millennium Prize 2001, the publicly and critically acclaimed Forty-Part Motet is now back on display at the National Gallery of Canada. This brilliant sound sculpture by Canadian artist Janet Cardiff is a reworking of Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis, a 16th-century English composer. Forty separately-recorded choir voices are played back through 40 speakers positioned around the NGC’s Rideau Chapel.

The effect of the work on visitors is deeply moving, earning it a popularity rarely encountered by contemporary art. "Most people experience this piece now in their living rooms in front of only two speakers," says Janet Cardiff. "Even in a live concert the audience is separated from the individual voices. Only the performers are able to hear the person standing next to them singing a different harmony. I wanted to be able to climb inside the music."

Janet Cardiff Forty-Part Motet 2001 40-track audio installation Installation dimensions variable Purchased 2001 National Gallery of Canada

Janet Cardiff Forty-Part Motet 2001 40-track audio installation Installation dimensions variable Purchased 2001 National Gallery of Canada