Sister Osithe

Sister Osithe

any Sisters came to teach at St. Ann's, and all of them left a significant impression, in their own way, on the students and the community at the convent. Sister Mary Osithe Labossière stands out among them for her contribution to the artistic side of the Academy, both by encouraging others to work in the art studio and through her own paintings, which were hung throughout the building.

Building the Card House (click for larger image)

Sister Marie Sophie Labelle had worked to establish the art department at St. Ann's in Victoria, and when she passed away, Sister Osithe was brought from Montreal to continue artistic instruction at the Academy. She arrived in 1897 and stayed to teach for 40 years, leaving only briefly during that time to follow her own artistic studies. During her time at the school, the art studio was always open and Sister Osithe did her best to make everyone feel at ease as they attempted to paint, work in charcoal, draw 'from life', decorate china and participate in some of the many other activities she co-ordinated. She was an inspiration to many young artists, who because she had given them confidence, kept up their art training long after they graduated from school.

Christmas Eve, 1900 (click for larger image)

In 1900, Sister Osithe wanted to paint a very special gift for the women of St. Ann's. She worked on a version of Murillo's "Crib". The depicted scene was intended as a backdrop to the manger of the Nativity, which cradled a wax figure of the infant Jesus and was surrounded by free-standing shepherds. The subject of the painting was a Spanish Baroque version of the Holy Family. Scholars of Baroque art have suggested that the iconography is that of Joachim and his wife Anna or Saint Ann, the mother of the Virgin Mary, patron saint of teachers and, of course, a very special individual for the people of St. Ann's. It is likely the Nativity, focusing on Mary, Joseph and Christ, making the work particularly appropriate for the occasion of its unveiling. This painting was set up in the chapel sanctuary on Christmas Eve, just before the Sisters filed in for Midnight Mass. In the glowing candlelight of the chapel, the painting must have been a beautiful surprise; from that point on, the "Crib" became a central part of the decorations for the Christmas season. This painting once again became a prominent feature during the Yuletide season after the restoration of the chapel, when it sits surrounded by poinsettias and other festive greenery.

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