Newfoundland and Labrador, and indeed the country, is mourning the loss of one of its greatest artistic talents.
Christopher Pratt, one of Canada’s most famous and celebrated painters and printmakers, died over the weekend.
He was 86.
Born in St. John’s, Pratt attended Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, where he discovered his love of the fine arts.
He also studied, along with his future wife Mary Pratt, at the Glasgow School of Art in the 1950s, and worked summers at the Argentia Naval Base, a stint that inspired many of his early works.
A fiercely proud Newfoundlander, Pratt famously designed the province’s flag, and was named to the Order of Canada in 1983, and awarded the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2018.
Mireille Eagan, the curator of contemporary art at The Rooms, says Pratt occupied a very special place at the museum.
She says Pratt revealed Newfoundland and Labrador to itself, sharing respectful imagery of the province in a way that made him and residents proud.
Christopher Pratt and his wife Mary, who died four years ago, raised four children together.
Funeral arrangements for Christopher Pratt have yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, there were many ways in which Pratt contributed to the culture of the province—one of which is the province’s flag.
Eugene Hiscock, who was the MHA for Eagle River from 1979 to 1989, was part of the select committee that chose Pratt’s design in 1980. Hiscock says they held meetings around the province and people submitted designs, but most didn’t appeal to the committee.
He notes that John Carter, a friend of Pratt’s, asked if he would come up with some designs. Hiscock says Pratt submitted several pieces, all of which were the same design in varying colours.
He says the smaller diamonds represent aboriginal groups of the province; the two larger ones represent Newfoundland and Labrador, and the yellow arrow symbolizes the direction of the province.
Hiscock says Pratt had a great impact on the province.
He says Pratt captured the essence of what Newfoundland and Labrador was in his paintings.
One of our country’s greatest artists, Christopher Pratt was known around the world for his legendary paintings. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and admirers as they mourn his passing and remember his work – which includes Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial flag.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 5, 2022