Video – General Sir Isaac Brock (artist version) - Decoding ART - Heritage Monuments
Transcript of General Sir Isaac Brock (artist version)
[Canadian Heritage signature]
Narrator: "This capsule is presented by Canadian Heritage."
[Background audio: heroic music; single person walking through underbrush]
[Portrait of Marlene Hilton Moore]
Narrator: "Creating Major General Sir Isaac Brock: The Hero of Upper Canada.
I am Marlene Hilton Moore, the artist who created the 14 statues and busts for the Valiants Memorial in Confederation Square."
[The bronze statue of Isaac Brock]
Narrator: "Busts have been used for hundreds of years to represent a person. Because a bust presents only the partial body of a person, it must be as true-to-life as possible in terms of appearance, but must also render the person’s spirit, strength and character."
[Close-up of the head made out of clay]
Narrator: "For Brock’s portrait in clay, I created a steady and confident gaze that would impart an air of pride and glory to the sculpture of Major General Sir Isaac Brock."
[Close-up of the head]
Narrator: "Isaac Brock was born on the island of Guernsey, in England. A disciplined and athletic student, he followed in the footsteps of his father and three of his brothers, joining the British army at the age of 15. He was known as a physically imposing man. He had an uncommon magnetism and was extremely intelligent. In 1802, he was transferred to Canada, where, ultimately, his name would go down in history. He died during the battle of Queenston Heights near Niagara Falls on October 13, 1812. He was shot in the heart, as he was leading the charge against the American troops. It was the first major battle in the War of 1812 which ended in a British victory."
[Close-up of his hat and jacket view from top to bottom]
Narrator: "In creating a bust of someone such as Sir Isaac Brock, the details are extremely important, clothing, artifacts, placement, as well as portrait likeness."
[The bust, view from the bottom to the top]
Narrator: "Brock died before hearing the news that he had been appointed an extra knight of the Order of the Bath, by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. He was bestowed this honour four days before he died, in recognition of his victory at the battle of Detroit early in the War of 1812. As he never wore the medal in life it is placed on the pedestal and not on his uniform."
[Portrait of Isaac Brock]
Narrator: "The bust was created using a reproduction of a pastel portrait that belongs to his descendants — the only authentic portrait of Brock known today. In the portrait, Brock is depicted sometime before the Battle of Queenston Heights, when he was 43 years old. He is represented in profile, wearing his military uniform. With the help of a historian and a curator specializing in the history of the War of 1812."
[Close-up of the head and the front of his jacket]
Narrator: "I was able to track down the military jacket with the double row of buttons and high collar, as well as the epaulettes worn by Sir Isaac Brock himself. In fact, the hole made by the musket ball that killed him is visible on the front of his jacket in the collection of the Canadian War Museum. His black felt bicorne hat was recreated by a milliner who meticulously copied the details of its end points and copper braiding. The hat was ordered by Sir Isaac Brock himself. However, he never wore it, because it arrived from England after his death. It was placed on his coffin during his funeral."
[Portrait of Isaac Brock’s postage stamp]
Narrator: "Like Laura Secord and Charles de Salaberry, Isaac Brock was honoured with a Canadian postage stamp commemorating the 200th anniversary of his birth."
[Close-up of the head]
Narrator: "The Township of Brock in the Niagara Region and Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, were also named in his honour. Isaac Brock changed the course of history. If not for his presence in Upper Canada, the province might have fallen into American hands. It’s easy to understand why he has been called the 'Saviour of Upper Canada.' "
[Canada Wordmark]
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