‘Stored Faithfulness’
The creative vision of one of the first pastors to this church leaves Toronto a great legacy of the “beauty of holiness” in this historic place of worship. Our prayer is that God will continue to breathe new life in these ancient walls, inspiring the imagination of all people toward a world fully redeemed in the beauty of God’s Kingdom. To know more of the story of this place of worship, read on....
The Story Behind the Distinctive Structure
St. Anne’s Anglican Church was built in 1907-08. The church contains paintings executed by ten prominent artists in 1923, among whom were three members of the Group of Seven. In 1998, it was designated as a National Historic Site.In 1905, Reverend Lawrence Skey, rector of the church from 1902-1933, wished to build something he thought more appropriate for his working-class congregation. Skey took a year of sabbatical leave to travel and study church architecture. His travels took him to Istambul, where the Early Christian church of Hagia Sophia made a strong impression upon him. Upon his return to Toronto, Skey held an architectural competition and awarded the contract for the construction of the new church to a young Toronto architect, William Ford Howland (1874-1948). Howland’s proposed design - a Byzantine Revival building with a saucer dome emulating the Hagia Sophia - greatly appealed to Skey because it was radically different from the conventional Gothic architecture preferred by the Anglican Church of Canada. Moreover, the Byzantine style also reflected a time when the Christian Church was united and reflected Skey’s own aspirations to see the Anglican movement unite with other Protestant denominations.
Group of Seven Murals
The most impressive feature of the church is the series of mural paintings that decorate the dome and chancel. These works, considered integral components of the architectural character of the Church, were executed in 1923 by ten Toronto artists, including three members of the Group of Seven – J.E.H. MacDonald, F.H. Varley and Frank Carmichael. . Indeed, the church murals are the Group’s only know religious artworks. Reverend Skey was a patron of the arts and frequented the Toronto Arts and Letters Club. Among his friends, he counted J.E.H. MacDonald whom he commissioned to do the church’s decoration in the spring of 1923.
For the artists involved in the project, the church murals represented an opportunity to promote Canadian art to a broader audience. The resulting paintings are impressive and surpass ordinary church decoration. Moreover, they are the only known religious artworks by the Group of Seven.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/culture/proj/urbain/cartes-maps/index_e.asp?mapid=4&buildingid=29#building
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/architecture/record_church.htm