Artist Biography & Facts

Henry Metzger

Henry Metzger (1876 - 1949) (1)

A painter and muralist, Father Henry Metzger was born in Grendelbruch, France. He immigrated to Canada in 1909 and died in Kronau, Saskatchewan. (2)

His primary medium was oil paint. His most well-known subjects were portraits of Indians and religious themed works for churches. He also painted landscape, mountain, shoreline and genre* scenes depicting locations in Saskatchewan, and possibly places where he lived or visited in Europe and the Middle East. His style was Realism*. AskART images have some excellent illustrations of his Indian portraits, the St. Peter's Heritage Society website have several photos of his religious paintings in St. Peter's Church, Kronau, Saskatchewan.

Before becoming a Roman Catholic priest, he studied art in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts* and at the Academie Julian*; and in Munich, Germany under Martin Feuerstein. Metzger also traveled in Switzerland, Italy (Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice), Egypt and Palestine (c.1900). He was ordained in 1901 and was a parish priest in France until emigrating in 1909. In Saskatchewan he served as a priest at St. Joseph's Colony in Balgonie and later at St. Peter's Colony near Kronau.

He created secular and religious art for most of his life. Many churches in Saskatchewan have his paintings on their walls. Two often mentioned Metzger projects are a mural at St. Joseph's Colony and the Grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes at St. Peter's Colony.

On March 22, 2010, the Church and Grotto in St. Peter's Colony were listed on the register of Canada's Historic Places. The 'Statement of Significance' reads in part: "As early as 1913, the colony's first resident priest, Father Henry Metzger, visualized a grotto or shrine at St. Peter's adjacent to Many Bones Creek. Excavation of the shrine honouring Our Lady of Lourdes began in June, 1917 and was completed that summer using fieldstones collected by the local settlers. The first pilgrimage was held in August 1917. Pilgrimages continue to be held every August."  (3)(4)

Metzger's work was exhibited in a solo show at St. Augustine Hall in Humboldt, Saskatchewan in 1951, it was also included in the exhibition "Point(s) of View: The Changing Face of Native Representation" held at Museum London, London, Ontario in 2002.

According to the Canadian Heritage Information Network* and individual museum websites, Metzger's works are in the permanent collections of the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), Library and Archives Canada (Ottawa, Ontario), Mackenzie Art Gallery (Regina, Saskatchewan), and Museum London (Ontario).
 
Footnotes:

(1) Please note: The Canadian Heritage Information Network*, the Saskatchewan Network for Art Collecting website, and The Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction all record Metzger's birth year as 1876. The "Biographical Index of Artists in Canada" and A Dictionary of Canadian Artists: Volume 4, Little - Myles record Metzger's birth year as 1877. Father Henry Metzger is buried at St. Peter's Colony, overlooking the grotto-The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.  The birthdate carved on his tombstone is July 15, 1876.  Source: Email from Vincent Ignatiuk, St. Peter's Heritage Society, dated January 20, 2014.

(2) The Canadian Heritage Information Network* says Metzger's place of birth is Gran Le Brick, Alsace, France; the Saskatchewan Network for Art Collecting (website) says Glendelbrook, and our three book sources say Grendelbroock. We could not locate Gran Le Brick, Glendelbrook, or Grendelbroock on Google Maps; however, there is a town called Grendelbruch in Alsace, France.

(3) Quote source: Parks Canada website.

(4) The St Peter's Heritage Society website says "...in 1916, Father H. Metzger became the first permanent, resident pastor of St Peter's Church...."
 

Sources:

Biographical Index of Artists in Canada (2003), by Evelyn de Rostaing McMann (see AskART book references)

The Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction (2001), by Anthony R. Westbridge and Diana L. Bodnar (see AskART book references)

A Dictionary of Canadian Artists: Volume 4, Little - Myles (1974), by Colin S. MacDonald (see AskART book references)

Canadian Heritage Information Network*

Art Gallery of Ontario Research Library & Archives

Saskatchewan Network for Art Collecting website

St. Peter's Heritage Society website

* For more in-depth information about these terms and others, see AskART.com. Glossary
http://www.askart.com/AskART/lists/Art_Definition.aspx

Written and contributed to askART by M.D. Silverbrooke.