Castle Kilbride is an 1877 grand Victorian home that was built by James Livingston, “The Flax and Linseed Oil King of Canada,” in Baden, Wilmot Township, Ontario. It stands as a monument to our heritage and traditions, and the commitment that the people of Wilmot Township have made to preserve their heritage. Castle Kilbride is known for the rare “trompe l'oeil” wall and ceiling murals found throughout the home. “Trompe l'oeil” is a French term which means “to fool the eye.” This illusionistic painting technique is employed in many of the decorative ceiling and wall paintings found throughout Castle Kilbride.
James Livingston recruited the best tradesmen to assist him with the building of his Castle. One of the best decisions he made was to hire the artist Henry Scharstein. It was likely in 1878-79 that the paintings were created. Little is known about this artist, but what he left behind has inspired all who have seen his work.
In September 1995, the Federal Government officially designated Castle Kilbride a National Historic Site by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. This three-dimensional technique of painting of “Trompe l'oeil” was a central reason for Castle Kilbride's designation as a National Historic Site 1995. These interior paintings are one of the finest examples of skillful artwork in a domestic home from the mid-Victorian Era in Canada. Found within the paintings at the Castle are a number of hidden images and classical motifs.
"Key elements that relate to the heritage value of Castle Kilbride’s murals include: the decorative mural paintings in their design, materials and locations including the ground- and upper-level hallways and their ceilings and which includes faux plasterwork, gilt-framed medallions representing the four elements, and a marble colonnade with a classical sculpture depicted in a niche; the more elaborate and brilliantly coloured mural painting in the library, which includes a border of real and faux plaster work containing a series of painted lunettes, gilt-framed medallions with allegorical figures representing the four seasons, painted figurative panels on opposite walls, arabesques of scrolled foliage, and an illusionistic frieze of tassels; the less elaborate, early 20th-century decoration of the living and dining room ceilings, including arabesques painted within a real plaster border, and small figurative paintings in the corners; the mural work in other rooms, including a small painting executed on the linen-covered ceiling of one of the upstairs bedrooms, and a ceiling painting in the upstairs Smoking Room, depicting a tobacco humidor and pipes; features of the paintings which illustrate the 19th-century attempt to re-establish the Renaissance tradition of wall painting, including their classical style, antique and Renaissance subject matter, figurative art, arabesque designs, and trompe l’oeil; the integration of the mural paintings with the architecture of the house including the provision of lighting using the device of a glass-domed attic." ( https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=802 )
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