John Little &
Philip Surrey
Special Exhibition
Exhibition Preview and Summary
View Entire Exhibition Galerie Alan Klinkhoff, Montreal
1448 rue Sherbrooke Ouest
John Little and Philip Surrey captured the pulse of urban life like no other Canadian artists of their generation. With Montreal as their primary subject, their paintings offer a window into a rapidly modernizing world. Through their eyes, we can explore Canadian urban environments in transformation, from their vibrant streets of bustling neighbourhoods to the profound, human experiences of the people who lived in them. The Montreal portion of this exhibition will delve into their working methods and process, further reaffirming their importance as among the most important urban painters of their time.
Pre-1940s figurative art and the abstract movements that followed in the 1950s are well-represented by the collections of Canada’s museums. These collections largely overlook urban painting from the post-World War II era, a crucial chapter in Canada’s artistic narrative depicting urban life during a period of profound societal change.
Where is the art that reflects the rapid urbanization, shifting cultural landscapes, and lived experiences of Canadians in this transformative era? Which artists will be chosen to define this overlooked chapter? This void in representation cannot persist indefinitely. The postwar period gave rise to important artistic contributions, capturing the struggles of cities in flux and the human experience of the people within them. Philip Surrey and John Little stand out as two of the most compelling chroniclers of urban Canada in their generation. With our exhibition, we reimagine how this pivotal period can and should be represented in our nation’s museums.
Dates: December 9-14, 2024
Location: Galerie Alan Klinkhoff, Montreal, 1448 rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Special Opening Hours
Monday, December 9 - Saturday, December 14: 10:00 - 17:00
Contact and Inquiries
info@klinkhoff.ca
Tel: 1-514-284-9339
Links
All Available Works by John Little
All Available Works by Philip Surrey
John Little: City Life from 1951
John Little
We regard John Little as Canada’s most important post-World War II urban painter. Over nearly seven decades, he devoted himself to preserving the memory of neighbourhoods undergoing transformation during a pivotal time for cities across North America.
Little’s approach to promoting himself and his art was highly unconventional in that he essentially resisted opportunities to do so. An intensely private individual, Little rarely discussed his art, leaving generations of collectors and critics to interpret his work without his own input. He limited his representation to Montreal-based galleries Watson, Continental, then later, Galerie Walter Klinkhoff. All were located within a few hundred meters of one another.
Remarkably, Little maintained strict control over the prices of his paintings, deliberately keeping them below their market value to keep them affordable to a broader audience and below prices of works by other artists he admired. He consistently declined interviews and refused to allow reproductions of his work in print media. He almost never spoke publicly about his art.
After an incident at his 1978 Continental Galleries exhibition, where a physical altercation broke out among patrons in line, Little rejected subsequent exhibition opportunities. In a rare exception, Little agreed to a tribute exhibition hosted by our gallery in 2017. This attracted thousands of visitors, including Little himself, who toured a packed gallery without anyone recognizing him.
Despite this approach, Little cultivated an extraordinarily vast and loyal clientele. His unwavering dedication to preserving history and artistic integrity has cemented his legacy as a defining figure in Canadian art.
John Little’s Studio. Image courtesy Mark Tomalty
Studio and Inspiration
John Little rarely spoke about his work, let alone his process. Photographs taken of his studio, publicized here for the first time, offer a glimpse into how he worked, adding to the collective understanding of why he is such a unique and extraordinarily important artist.
The photographs are a window into the mind of an artist who was deeply engaged in the changing world around him. Layers of reference material such as maps, sketches, notes, old Montreal Expos calendars, and NHL schedules, are taped haphazardly to the walls behind his work surface.
Wooden shelves and cabinets surround the workspace, lined with boxes meticulously organized by location and subject matter. Each box contains historical photographs, pencil sketches, newspaper and magazine clippings. Obituaries and references to current events are scattered among his loose papers, in his work logs and throughout the room.
Little’s studio was not only a place to paint, it was his archive - a chaotic yet organized space that reflects his methodology and inspiration. It demonstrates his reverence for the past and his acute awareness of the present.
All of his material brings to life the stories of neighbourhoods like Griffintown, Pointe St-Charles, and Faubourg à M’Lasse. His paintings, informed by these archives, serve as tributes to the people and neighbourhoods he cherished. They are poignant reminders of the cultural and architectural heritage threatened by 1960s urban renewal policies.
John Little’s Studio. Image courtesy Mark Tomalty
Process
John’s wife Lorraine did almost everything for him, allowing him his privacy from distraction and to maintain his focus. She provided inspiration and relevant historical research of the different neighbourhoods - Griffintown, Pointe St Charles, St Henri, The Plateau, and elsewhere in Montreal and neighbourhoods in Quebec City. Little then photographed and sketched the subject matter than stimulated his artistic sensibilities, returning later to his studio to paint his interpretation of what he had captured.
Little often used as his input the same drawings and photographs he took in the 1950s and 60s. On occasion, he stitched together multiple photographs to create a panorama perspective and “Squared Up” the composition.
Inspired by current events, such as the redevelopment of a cherished streetcorner, Little would consult his vast archive of material. He would then re-compose his paintings from those earlier drawings and photographs. In his work logs, Little recorded the evolution and treatment of each painting. If he was unsatisfied, he might rework a composition, or repaint it entirely.
John Little’s brushstrokes. Image courtesy Mark Tomalty
Drawing and Photos
Photographs
Squaring Up
24 x 36" format, painted in 1997
12 x 18" format, painted in 2008
Tribute
John Little passed away in October 2024 at the age of 96. While he is best known for his enduring legacy as an artist, we would like to celebrate another facet of his life - his extraordinary ability to connect with people.
Our family has been fortunate to know the Little family for many years. As a gallery that had the privilege of representing him, we have also served as a place where others came to share their own cherished stories about John.
Little was more than a celebrated artist; he was a cultural icon with countless friends, admirers, and fans. Despite his fame, he remained a private and modest individual, often preferring the intimacy of letter writing to public appearances. This allowed him to respond thoughtfully and on his own terms.
The sheer number of handwritten correspondences he maintained over decades is remarkable. These letters, both their existence and their content, reveal a deeply personal and human side of Little. They reflect his extraordinary kindness, thoughtfulness, and humour.
Consistently warm and engaging, he celebrated birthdays, holidays, special occasions, and long-standing friendships with letters often enriched by pencil sketches and whimsical anecdotes, almost like miniature cartoons, offering a glimpse of his playful spirit.
John Little had a rare gift: he made people feel special. This exhibition honours not only the artist but also the extraordinary man whose personal connections enriched the lives of so many.
Portrait of Alan, Jonathan and Craig Klinkhoff by John Little
Philip Surrey
Margaret and Philip Surrey, July 1939. Image courtesy Library and Archives Canada (Link)
Philip Surrey is celebrated for his evocative depictions of urban life. Born in Calgary, he spent formative years in Singapore and England before returning to study art in Winnipeg. Under the mentorship of artists Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald and Frederick Varley, Surrey immersed himself in artistic movements of his time, ultimately developing a unique style that merged realism with a particular focus on the human experience within the city.
Surrey relocated to Montreal in 1937. While working full-time as a photo and features editor for The Herald and Montreal Star, he became a founding member of the Contemporary Arts Society. Surrey’s influence quickly grew, and he exhibited alongside leading Canadian artists such as Paul-Émile Borduas, Alfred Pellan, Jori Smith, Goodridge Roberts, John Lyman, and Jean Paul Lemieux.
Often painting at night because he worked during the day, Surrey was drawn to the dimly lit street corners and taverns of Montreal’s diverse vibrant neighborhoods. His compositions are characterized by minimalist, geometric forms and illuminated by the glow of electric and imagined or exaggerated light sources.
Active during a time of urban renewal, Surrey’s paintings capture mundane moments of ordinary life for the people of the city. He rarely depicts harmonious interactions, adding intense psychological depth to his work and highlighting themes of urban alienation and solitude. There is a lot to uncover through a study of his paintings, his work habits and his psyche. Knowledgeable American art collectors sense the anxieties and loneliness of Edward Hopper in him. Dealer Gilles Corbeil perceptibly added comparisons to Alex Colville, Jean Paul Lemieux, Balthus and Magritte.
Surrey’s artistic achievements were met with critical and commercial success. His paintings featured prominently in museum shows and sell-out exhibitions at Montreal’s Galerie Martin and Galerie Gilles Corbeil. Occasionally, he allowed Galerie Walter Klinkhoff to acquire works from him directly. In 1964, Weekend Magazine owner John McConnell paid Surrey to paint full-time while remaining on staff for the paper.
His ability to portray the shared experience of urbanization, modernization and living in the complex heart of a transforming city has made his paintings relevant not just to Montrealers, but to collectors and institutions across the country.
Surrey’s paintings are in permanent collections from coast to coast, including the National Gallery of Canada, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Art Gallery of Ontario, Vancouver Art Gallery, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Alberta, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Musée d'art de Joliette, Ottawa Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Museum London, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts, Owens Art Gallery, and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.
Autobiography
Philip Surrey’s biographical notes and work logs are publicly available through the National Archives. They provide remarkable insights into his life and work.
The documents offer detailed accounts of his painting methods, struggles with depression, excessive drinking by both Philip and Margaret, suicidal thoughts, and reflections on his childhood. It also includes Philip's own analysis of the roots of his loneliness, much of which influenced his artwork. Interestingly, the text, though written in the first person and appearing autobiographical, was authored by Margaret Surrey.
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One man told me that he had always hated Montreal but started to love it when he saw my pictures. That is pleasant to hear. I suppose, too, that i want to make my little mark on the world, leave some record of my having existed. For me, art brings meaning and order out of the confusions and conflicts in which we are immersed. [...]
The painter can do exactly what he wishes. No one tells him what to do or not to do. That is the really difficult thing. To know what you want to do, to know yourself.
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The Lymans loved to see their living room filled with their friends and, through them, people from both languages worlds of Montreal were able to meet and get to know one another. It was a wonderful opening for a westerner like myself who knew nothing of Eastern Canada or of the Frenchness of Quebec. Without it Montreal might have remained, as it does for many, a closed and mysterious city whose secret life is never penetrated by the tourist and remains unknown to many English-speaking Canadians who have lived here all their lives.
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As far as Montreal was concerned I gradually fell in love with it. I no longer found it ugly as I had at first. John Lyman, in his diary, writes, "In places where everything is beautiful I come to find everything indifferent; nothing emerges signally enough to strike the faded emotions. Here, in Montreal, where almost all is ugly I see beauty everywhere." I strongly agreed with that remark. Montreal became a poetic city for me. The deeper I penetrated the more I loved it. As I had so little time in the day I went back to my old habits and wandered around at night with my sketchbook. My easel was set up permanently. I painted. Every day I worked, painted and drew portraits of my friends, made studies of Montreal at night. In my one-room Bishop Street apartment I did an oil portrait of the critic, Robert Ayre's wife, Thelma and it was exhibited under the title "Noumenal Construction" in the Spring Show. I was beginning to meet people and make friends.
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The country we love is France and we never get enough of it. So why don't we go there and live for awhile ? Because Montreal is what I want to paint. I am condemned to this city. I am condemned to insomnia, to my difficult temperament, to my self pity. And I have freedom to paint, a wife I love who is my best friend.
The Work Logs
From 1963 to 1989, Philip Surrey kept meticulous notes detailing his daily activities. These notes are an extension of his autobiography and act as both a journal and work log. They reveal fascinating insight into his life and painting process. Surrey’s paintings are crafted with extraordinary precision. From his studio, Surrey worked on multiple versions of a composition simultaneously. The variations could differ in scale, composition, and even medium, resulting in multiple, unique and distinct interpretations of the same subject. His hourly accounting of his work sheds light on his painstaking decisionmaking process, from pigment preparation, to colour selection, to the placement of compositional elements such as people, cars, and light sources. This obsession with detail resulted in extremely slow production. His paintings would often take weeks, months and even years to finish.
Philip Surrey (with camera) in conversation with Gabrielle Roy. Seated, from left to right: Jean Paul Lemieux, Jori Smith (holding Daisy), Robert LaPalme, Margaret Surrey, Baie St Paul 1968. Image courtesy PhilipSurrey.com
Expert from Philip Surrey’s 1977-1978 Work Log. Courtesy National Archives.
Exhibition Preview
View Entire Exhibition Galerie Alan Klinkhoff, Montreal
Galerie Alan Klinkhoff, Montreal, 1448 rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Dates: December 9-14, 2024
Special Opening Hours
Monday, December 9 - Saturday, December 14: 10:00 - 17:00
Contact and Inquiries
info@klinkhoff.ca
Tel: 1-514-284-9339
Links
All Available Works by John Little
All Available Works by Philip Surrey
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John Little 1928-2024
Jeunes Filles, Rue Beaudry, 1970
signed, ‘JOHN / LITTLE’ (lower right); titled, signed and dated, ‘JEUNES FILLES - RUE BEAUDRY - MONTREAL JOHN LITTLE 70’ (verso, upper horizontal stretcher)
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 in
61 x 76.2 cm
(4399)
[Plans d'utilisation du sol de la ville de Montréal à l'échelle 1:600] (Link)
Jeunes Filles - Rue Beaudry is a story about a neighbourhood, the people, the neighbours and of course the built heritage. As one might have anticipated, since John Little painted this composition in 1970 of Rue Beaudry at av. Brien, much has changed. In fact, av. Brien, formerly a cul-de-sac with only a few doors, is gone, now parking for a low rise apartment building constructed on that open lot, Little implies on the centre- right-hand side of his painting.
While Little’s painting places are limited primarily to Montreal and Quebec City, his story is a North American one, an observation that “urban renewal” and “suburbanization” were adversely changing and even obliterating the heritage of neighbourhoods, the people and the built heritage. It was fully a generation after Little began to commemorate in paint these areas that were being adversely affected by social policies dictated by City Hall in Little’s City of Montreal, municipal officials changed course, now looking to conserve some neighbourhoods and repopulate the downtown core which they had previously dedicated to offices.
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John Little 1928-2024
Une journée humide - rue Panet d’autrefois, 1978
signed, ‘JOHN/ LITTLE’ (lower right); titled, signed and dated, ‘UNE JOURNÉE HUMIDE - RUE PANET d’autrefois JOHN / LITTLE 78’ (verso, upper horizontal stretcher); inscribed, “WILLIAM RICHARD ‘BILLY’ COX THIRD BASE Pittsburg - Brooklyn / NEWPORT PENNSYLVANIA AUG 29 1919 - MARCH 31 1978” (verso, left vertical stretcher); inscribed, ‘reproduction rights remain property of artist’ (verso, right vertical stretcher); inscribed, ‘78-74’ (lower horizontal stretcher)
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 in
61 x 76.2 cm
(4420)
Rue Panet is located in Montreal’s East end.
John Little was an avid sports fan. Hockey, baseball and Canadian football he followed. He occasionally writes tributes to sports figures, sometimes entire teams on the reverse of his paintings.
inscribed, “WILLIAM RICHARD ‘BILLY’ COX THIRD BASE Pittsburg - Brooklyn / NEWPORT PENNSYLVANIA AUG 29 1919 - MARCH 31 1978”
William Richard ‘Billy’ Cox (August 29 1919 - March 31 1978) was a Major League Baseball Player. Born in Newport, Pennsylvania, he was a third baseman making his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 20, 1941. After serving in US Military during World War II, for eleven seasons he played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1941, 1946-47), Brooklyn Dodgers (1948-54) and Baltimore Orioles in 1955. He ended his career with a record of 974 hits, 470 runs scored, 66 home runs, 351 runs batted in and a .262 batting average. He died at age 58 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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John Little 1928-2024
Rue de la Visitation avec Eglise St-Pierre, Montreal, 1961
signed and dated, 'JOHN LITTLE/'61' (lower right); titled, signed and dated, 'SKETCH / Rue de la Visitation / avec Eglise St. Pierre/John P. Little/ 61' (verso)
Oil on canvas board
12 x 16 in
30.5 x 40.6 cm
(4335)
The subject here is one that finds at the end of the street The Church of St Peter the Apostle, beyond which an entire neighborhood had been razed in the spirit of urban renewal to make way for the Radio Canada CBC tower office and acres of parking lot. Our painting captures what for Little is the essence of Montreal that he could only save in paint on canvas.
This composition is paired in a style of a post Impressionism, temperament Little employed for 6 or 7 years during which he painted what the market suggests are his most sought after works.
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John Little 1928-2024
St. Matthew (Oldfield Ave) Street at Dorchester, Montreal, 1969
signed, ‘JOHN/ LITTLE’ (lower right); titled, signed and dated, ‘St. MATTHEW (OLDFIELD AVE) at DORCHESTER MONTREAL JOHN/ LITTLE ‘69’ (verso, upper horizontal stretcher)
Oil on canvas
16 x 20 in
40.6 x 50.8 cm
(4496)
St. Matthew Street, formerly called Oldfield Ave, is located in Montreal’s Ville Marie borough. Dorchester St. is now Boulevard René-Lévesque
Intersection de Dorchester Ouest et de la rue Saint-Mathieu, Montréal, Québec, 1966. Don de Mme Edith H. Mather
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John Little 1928-2024
Old St Cecile Street (before demolition), 1961 (circa)
signed, ‘JOHN/ LITTLE’ (lower right); titled and signed, ‘OLD ST CECILE ST (before demolition) MONTREAL John Little’ (verso, stretcher)
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 in
61 x 76.2 cm
(4421)
Rue Sainte Cécile
La cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde vue depuis la rue Sainte-Cécile à Montréal, 1957, BAnQ Vieux-Montréal, Fonds Armour Landry, (06M,P97,S1,D15530-15531), Armour Landry.
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Philip Surrey 1910-1990
Grosvenor & Sherbrooke, the Pink Umbrella, 1972
signed, 'Surrey' (lower right)
Oil on canvas
24 x 20 in
61 x 50.8 cm
(3783)
This painting depicts the corner of Grosvenor Avenue and Sherbrooke St. West in Westmount, Quebec. Philip and Margaret Surrey lived on Grosvenor Avenue, only a few hundred meters from this location.
According to Surrey’s Work Logs and our archives, there are at least 4 versions of this composition, each in a different size; 32 x 24”, 24 x 20”, 16 x 12” and 12 x 8”.
Spring Evening, 1972, Oil on canvas, 32 x 24 (82 x 64,7 cm) - Not for sale (Collection MNBAQ)
Looking up Grosvenor, Mixed media on paper, 15 5/8 x 11 3/4 in (39.7 x 29.8 cm) - Not for sale
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Philip Surrey 1910-1990
Winter Street Scene
signed, 'SURREY' (mid-lower left).
Oil on canvas
18 x 24 in
45.7 x 61 cm
This painting depicts the corner of Victoria Avenue and Sherbrooke St. West in Westmount, Quebec.
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Philip Surrey 1910-1990
Au Petit Lunch, 1971-1971 (circa)
signed, 'SURREY' (upper middle right)
Oil on canvas
18 x 24 in
45.7 x 61 cm
(3759)
“In the Philip Surrey exhibition “Le peintre dans la ville” , hosted at the Musée d’Art Contemporain in Montreal and the Centre Culturel Canadien in Paris in 1971 and 1972 respectively, Gilles Corbeil, the art dealer who represented both Jean-Paul Lemieux and Surrey, remarked that whereas Lemieux is haunted by the past, for his part Surrey works in the present and lives in harmony with his time. Corbeil further suggests that Surrey wants to leave an image of the present to the people of tomorrow. He then referred to the work of Magritte and Balthus thereby implying the surreal qualities and tension in Surrey paintings.”
Au Petit Lunch is a vibrant nocturnal urban scene, set at the intersection of Avenue Metcalfe and Rue St. Catherine in Montreal. The composition depicts a serene evening in the city, illuminated by artificial lights and their glowing reflections.
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Philip Surrey 1910-1990
Two Girls, 1967
signed 'Surrey' (centre right).
Oil on canvas
20 x 16 in
50.8 x 40.6 cm
(3706)
Philip Surrey’s autobiography and work logs reveal his Philip Surrey’s intense attention to detail is vividly illustrated through his meticulously kept work logs and autobiographical notes. Each entry reveals an hourly account of his treatment of various elements within his compositions, such as the deliberate selection of colours and the painstaking reworking of figures. In the case of Two Girls, Surrey invested several months to refine the clothing and limbs of his subjects, revisiting and revising these forms dozens of times. His logs also indicate a remarkable dedication to his craft, as he developed a smaller format composition simultaneously. This level of commitment underscores Surrey's pursuit of perfection.
Westmount Square is a residential and office complex located in Westmount, Quebec, Canada. There are two residential apartment buildings and two office buildings. It is located between Sainte Catherine Street and De Maisonneuve Boulevard and between Wood Avenue and Greene Avenue. The complex was designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the International style. Construction began in 1964 and the complex opened on December 13, 1967. (Source)
Two Girls II, Oil on panel, 7 7/8 x 5 7/8 in (20 x 15 cm) - Not for sale
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John Little 1928-2024
Place Jacques-Cartier et ses alentours, Montréal, 1959 (circa)
signed, ‘JOHN LITTLE’ (lower right)
Oil on masonite
24 x 30 in
61 x 76.2 cm
(4501)
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Philip Surrey 1910-1990
Place Ville Marie, 1963
signed, ‘surrey’ (centre right); inscribed, titled and dated, ‘Mme Paul de Guise/ $125/Place Ville Marie/ c. 1962-3’ (verso, centre)
Oil on board
12 x 16 in
30.5 x 40.6 cm
(3845)
Place Ville Marie completed in 1962, and the celebratory atmosphere of this important building complex inspired a series of four of what are among Surrey’s most sought after large format paintings.
This work relates directly to a large format Surrey painting identified as Place Ville Marie l, a view of the plaza along Dorchester (now Rene Levesque), looking west toward the Sun Life Building.
The plaza at Place Ville Marie was originally designed as a place where people could congregate and enjoy the pleasures of the outdoors at lunch time in the city centre, just outside the office.
When John McConnell, publisher of the Montreal Star [Weekend Magazine] an admirer of Surrey’s art, liberated Surrey from his work with the Star, he agreed to pay him for the ensuing 12 years. It is recorded in his “autobiographical notes” that Surrey was excited, enthusiastic and uplifted in his spirits with this transition. At the same time, Montreal was undergoing a transition of its own, kind of a rejuvenation. Plans were underway for Canada’s centenary with what was to be Expo 67, construction of new highways and byways to the city centre from new suburbia developed in almost every direction, and in the downtown core, a competition between two office towers being built concurrently, the CIBC building and Place Ville Marie.
Study for Place Ville Marie (2), (Mixed media on paper, 12 x 18 in). Not for sale.
Place Ville-Marie II, 1965 (Oil on masonite, 32 x 48 in). Not for sale
Study for Place Ville-Marie (Mixed media, 21 1/2 x 29 1/2 in). Not for sale.
Study for Place Ville Marie I, (Mixed media on paper, 10 7/8 x 17 1/2 in). Not for sale.
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Philip Surrey 1910-1990
The Strait of Belle Isle, 1958
signed, ‘Surrey’ (lower right); signed, inscribed and dated, ‘P. SURREY / EXPO: “Paysages d’hiver et d’aujourd’hui” / 23 april au 18 oct. 1976’ (verso, upper left)
Oil on masonite
6 x 8 in
15.2 x 20.3 cm
(3818)
"Each individual is alone, cut off. Each wonders how others cope with life. A work of art is a particularly complex statement, valuable because packed with meaning... Like icebergs, four-fifths of our personalities lie below the surface; of the fifth that shows, only part can be expressed in conversation. The only effective outlet for all deeper feelings and thoughts is art."
