It took 53 years, but Umberto Bruni’s mural finally hangs in a museum.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization unveiled the Montreal painter’s work — which stands more than 15 metres tall — Thursday.
In 1957, Bruni was commissioned by the British American Oil Company to paint a massive 65-square-metre mural depicting the growth of Canada for the foyer of their Montreal offices.
It was designed by Thor Hansen, the company’s art director and a prominent figure in Canadian design and folk art.
British American eventually moved out of the building, leaving the mural behind, and St. Lawrence Cement, now Holcin (Canada) Inc., moved in. Last year, they closed their Montreal office, donating the Bruni-Hansen mural to the museum.
Bruni, now 95, was at the museum for the unveiling, and described his reaction to seeing his work on the wall: “I was surprised. I nearly fainted. This is the place it’s supposed to be.”
