[[image]]

The Honourable Thomas Vien, 1943-1945

The Senate commissions a portrait of every Speaker in recognition of the procedural and protocol importance of that role — a tradition that predates Confederation.

The subject of this portrait, the Honourable Thomas Vien, represented Quebec and Canadians in Parliament for more than 40 years. He served in the House of Commons between 1917 and 1925, during which time he fought in the First World War. He successfully ran for office again in 1935.

Appointed to the Senate in 1942 and named Speaker the following year, Mr. Vien hosted an unprecedented wartime conference that included delegations from parliaments in the British Commonwealth and from the United States Congress. 

The Speaker can choose the artist for whom they would like to sit; Mr. Vien selected Kenneth Forbes, a notable Canadian landscape and portrait painter. Mr. Forbes served as an official war artist during the First World War and received the Order of Canada in 1967 for his artistic contributions.

[[artitemobjectdetails]]