Categories: Capital Diary

Jean Chrétien gets hung

Past and current MPs came out for the hanging of Jean Chrétien’s official portrait…

by Mitchel Raphael on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 9:00am - 24 Comments

Past and current MPs came out for the hanging of Jean Chrétien’s official portrait painted by artist Christan Nicholson. Below, Chrétien with the portrait.

Former Liberal MP Martin Cauchon (left) with Liberal MP Denis Coderre.

Aline Chrétien (left) and Laureen Harper.

Heritage Minister James Moore and former Heritage Minister Sheila Copps.

Stephen Harper.

Artist Christan Nicholson

Former Deputy PM John Manley.

Former NDP leader Ed Broadbent.

Iggy’s wife, Zsuzsanna M. Zsohar.

Iggy with the artist Christan Nicholson.

Liberal MPs Rodger Cuzner (left) and Mark Eyking.

Warren Kinsella (left) and former Liberal MP Paul Zed.

Former Liberal cabinet minister Brian Tobin.

Jean Chrétien’s brothers, Gabriel (left) and Michel.

More by Mitchel Raphael

jarrid

As to the second picture, one immediately feels the palpable ambition and expectation exuding from Cauchon and Coderre's faces. It's almost as if they are imagining being at their own respective portrait hangings.

They will both be disappointed I'm afraid, and their portrait hangings will remain a figment of their imagination. Why do I say that?

The Liberal Party of Canada will abandon its traditional alternating of anglophone and francophone leaders, that's why. Francophones have deserted the Liberal Party for over two generations now. Liberal leadership convention rules and protocols no longer operate in the party these days, but rather, naked personal ambition. It's Bob Rae's turn, and he's bilingual so that'll be good enough, or that'll be the rationalization anyway.
http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

What's in Chretien's hand?

http://intensedebate.com/people/Be_rad Be_rad

Eye glasses?
Kevin

Bill Clennett's dentures.

John D

He should try a 'stache, like his brothers
http://intensedebate.com/people/Ricard_S_Argent Richard_S_Argent

Does anybody know if the yellow background is a subtle nod to his hero Laurier's "sunny way"?

Regardless I think this is my 2nd favourite portrait – nobody will ever top Pearson's.

jarrid

Are you still protesting that you're not a Liberal partisan Richard?

http://intensedebate.com/people/Ricard_S_Argent Richard_S_Argent

Engaging with you literally makes my head hurt.

(heaven forbid that I have an opinion on art…or that I think Trudeau's is easily the ugliest by a country mile…you keep on keeping on…maybe one day you'll add something of value to the discussion – other than playing the fool)

jarrid

You've been in such a dour mood lately Richard, cheer up.

Indeed, the last time I recall seeing you cheery on this blog was back in January when Paul Wells posted about a national poll. This is what you said in the comment thread:

" This is certainly a surprising result. I think it's extremely…heartening (it's weird to feel positive about politics…"

Oh, what post cheered Richard so? Here's the entire Wells post:

"Here’s a poll to argue about!

by Paul Wells on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 2:21pm – 200 Comments

Conservatives 31, Liberals 30. We are not making this up."

There's nothing wrong with admitting the obvious Richard. We're all grown-ups here.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Ricard_S_Argent Richard_S_Argent

Not dour in the slightest my friend, just whenever you rear your head. Why just yesterday I was having a jolly good time on the Mulroney thread. Then you show up spouting nonsense and my brain starts to hurt.

(and I see you're trying desperately to paint me as a Liberal partisan. Well I'm not. That comment you dug up? What I found heartening was not that the Liberals had come close to the Conservatives, but rather that it showed that people were taking an active interest in politics – that the cynical were wrong, that people actually did care about the prorogue. But do try and crop things out of context – it's amusing.)

You don't need to go hunting too far for my political stance – why just last week I posted this reponse to you (shocking that you missed it):

Poor Jarrid,

You mistake my distaste for Harper as support for the Liberals…nothing could be further from the truth. If anything made me give Ignatieff a second glance, it was the over-the-top rhetoric coming from the likes of you.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Ricard_S_Argent Richard_S_Argent

My full comment:

"This is certainly a surprising result. I think it's extremely…heartening (it's weird to feel positive about politics…I can't even think of the opposite of "disheartening") to see that it would appear that public discontent is actually out ahead of the opposition parties. People seem to be actually paying attention regardless of what the various parties are telling them.

It's nice is all."

Yep, that sure sounds to me like the words of a Card Carrying Liberal.
jarrid

Here's Richard doing his best to spin the Liberal ad dissed by Andrew Coyne called "Dreamworldview". (The one where Iggy is talking with a Toronto municipal park in the background)

"Hey, it was enough to convince this life long NDP voter to give the Liberals a second look. "

He's saying that that ad influenced him to look at the Liberals. Yes, that widely panned ad. For a "life long NDP voter" Richard, you sure shill hard for the Liberal Party of Canada.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Ricard_S_Argent Richard_S_Argent

You know, the fact that you cycled through 62 pages of my comments looking for a smoking gun (and could only come up with the fact that I'm giving the Liberals "a second look"…those sure are the words of a rampaging Liberal ain't they?) is more than a little pathetic.

Gosh you're not actually this dim are you? Have you seriously never considered that I might consider the Liberals the lesser of two evils? That I'd much rather deal with Ignatieff as PM rather than Harper? That hating Harper is not the same thing as "shilling" for the Liberals?

Again, let me save you the time and effort of going through each and every one of my posts. Here's what I TOLD YOU last week:

Poor Jarrid,

You mistake my distaste for Harper as support for the Liberals…nothing could be further from the truth. If anything made me give Ignatieff a second glance, it was the over-the-top rhetoric coming from the likes of you.
Richard_S_Argent

Also, if you actually read that quote – I wasn't referencing the commercial but rather how Harper's prorogue was enough to convince me (a lifelong NDP voter) to give the Liberals a second look – i.e. to follow an ABC (Anyone But Conservative) electoral strategy.

Spinning statements out of context doesn't work when I can easily access said context mi amigo.

(and now I'm fairly certain everyone under the sun is sick and tired of your attempts at discerning my political allegiances…allegiances I might add, that I hide in plain view…so stop it already.)

http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

One journalist said that the area where his portrait is to be hung is quite dark and it really brightens it up – perhaps that's the reason.

Loraine Lamontagne

Just had a look at all the portraits. Chrétien is definitely a favorite. It is a bold portrait, with the yellow background and the red tie, and an excellent likeness.

I also like Abbot (definitely Chris Plummer's great-grandfather) and Sir Mackenzie Bowell. John Turner's is a disaster. Pearson, not bad, but it's too dull for my liking.
Loraine Lamontagne

And I note that Chrétien is holding his glasses, like Mackenzie King. Deliberate?

http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

Probably a reason to have his hand in that position. Otherwise, it would be in mid-air sort of.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Ricard_S_Argent Richard_S_Argent

Could be. I'm sure if you asked him, Chretien would like the "paint" himself (heh) as a pragmatic PM, much like King was known as.

(uh-oh…there I go having an opinion on a Liberal….must be me showing my partisan stripes again! :)

http://intensedebate.com/people/Fred_Moro Fred Moro

Oh Richard, you Liberal partisan.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Ricard_S_Argent Richard_S_Argent

Yep, the only thing I can rightfully be accused of being a "partisan" of is my beloved Habitants :D

(and jarrid, before you barge in screaming "I KNEW IT!", "partisan" means "fan" in french)

Theresa

Why is it that everyone gets their name posted but Ignatieff is referred to as Iggy? Doesn't seem too profesional. Chretien's brothers look just like him.
jarrid

Great pics Mitchel,

As to the first picture, I've always considered Chrétien more of a foot soldier than a leader, but the man did have sure political instincts and some common sense. Compared to Paul Martin Jr., Stéphane Dion and Michael Ignatieff, he stands tall.
Mike T.

Certainly time has been kind to the little guy and his policy – mostly in comparison to what we have now.