Berczy

Patricia Vervoort is an assistant professor of art history at Lakehead
University.

William Berczy (Johann Albrecht Ulrich Moll, 1744–1813) is known to
students of Canadian art as the painter of the neoclassical-style
portraits of Joseph Brant and The Woolsey Family; the latter is
acknowledged by Dennis Reid to be “one of the masterpieces of Canadian
art.” To students of Canadian history, Berczy is known as the leader
of a group of German settlers who first settled in New York, then came
to Ontario. His multiple talents as artist and architect are examined in
detail in this NGC exhibition catalogue.

The volume explores Berczy’s life as a court painter and art dealer
in Europe from 1744 to 1791 (Beate Stock) and in Canada from 1794 to
1813 (Mary Macaulay Allodi). His career as a colonization promoter from
1791 to 1813 is documented by Peter Moogk. Fifteen color plates reveal
the range and ability of Berczy’s talent as a portrait painter, from
his earliest major work, The Family of the Grand Duke Peter Leopold of
Tuscany (1781–82), to a single portrait of John Mackenzie (1811); one
additional color plate is by his son, the painter William Bent Berczy.

The catalogue portion by Stock and Allodi records all the European and
Canadian works as well as the lost works known through documents. Two
additional sections by Allodi list all the art works of William Bent
Berczy and daughter-in-law Amélie Panet Berczy. The appendices include
a genealogy (of the Moll family); a discussion of the Pastel Profiles
(once attributed to Berczy); the materials and techniques used by Berczy
(a technical analysis of The Woolsey Family); Berczy’s written
description of Joseph Brant (“his speech is exalted energy and endowed
with all the charms of complete Retorick”); and an outline of
Berczy’s planned publications (a book about Canada). A selected
bibliography concludes the volume. This thorough and up-to-date study of
Berczy reveals, as well, the circumstances of the art community of his
day.