The Most Reverend Alexander MacDonell

The Most Reverend Alexander MacDonell, the first Roman Catholic bishop of Kingston, Upper Canada, sits for this 1823 portrait now at Library and Archives Canada. MacDonell, born in Scotland, accompanied Highland emigrants to Canada and became a prominent figure in the colony"s religious and political life. That a Catholic bishop would sit for the Protestant establishment"s portrait painter reflects the pragmatic ecumenism of colonial society and MacDonell"s role as a loyal British subject despite his faith.

Shee adapts his standard ecclesiastical portrait format for a Catholic prelate, showing MacDonell in appropriate vestments with an expression of pastoral authority. The palette features the darker tones of Catholic episcopal dress, distinguished from the Anglican prelates" crimson by its more somber hues. The face is the strongest passage, with Shee capturing the determined character of a man who built a diocese on the Canadian frontier.