St. Lawrence Market South Building
APRIL 2010 | Acrylic on Canvas | 9″ x 12″ | View Larger »
It took me a year and a half of painting other locations around the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood before I finally worked up the courage to paint the main market itself. The challenge is that the building is so large and crowded it’s often difficult to find a clear angle to photograph it from, and it tends to throw its own shadows and put itself into darkness. I finally got a decent shot on a reasonably sunny day late last summer. The looming presence of the building (which fills nearly a whole block) is still evident but overall I’m happy with the contrast between the hulking building and the colourful sidewalk details.
The square portion with small windows on the front of the building is Toronto’s original City Hall, built in 1845 on the southwest corner of Front St. East and Jarvis [map]. In 1899, the larger market building was constructed around this original building, essentially creating the structure that stands today. The market was given a major overhaul in the early 1970s after narrowly being saved from demolition, and in 1979 the former city hall council chambers were converted into a gallery museum that showcases various archives and art related to the history of Toronto.
Today the South Market is open 5 days a week with dozens of personable vendors on two floors selling specialty foods and other items. The less photogenic North Building across the street houses the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and an Antique Market on Sundays. A few years ago, Food & Wine magazine included the St. Lawrence Market in its 25 of the World’s Best Food Markets article. You can read more about the St. Lawrence Market on the official website, including more about its long history.
April 1st, 2011 at 7:23 am
[...] St. Lawrence Market, which consists of a trio of centrally managed public buildings, Kensington Market is an eclectic, [...]