William Rapahel (1833?1914) is celebrated for his unique artistic insight into the everyday activities and the people who inhabited Canada in the second half of the nineteenth century. Recognized today for his depictions of Montreal's urban life and its landscapes, Raphael's unparalleled contribution to the country's visual folklore plays a crucial role in our understanding of a nation in full expansion.William Raphael: Life & Work traces the artist's career from his birth in Nakel, Prussia, to his training in Berlin, where he familiarized himself with the principles of the Biedermeier style ? a movement emphasizing realism and simplicity rather than ornamentation and opulence ? which he brought to his chosen city of Montreal. After establishing himself as Canada's first professional Jewish artist, Raphael worked with the famed photographer William Notman, an early-career connection that helped situate him within the province's burgeoning cultural milieu. Revered and talented, he soon became one of the city's most esteemed artists and painted the portraits of numerous most notable members of Quebec society.Pierre-Olivier Ouellet explores Raphael's ability to represent a wide variety of subjects ? from medical illustrations to genre scenes, through urban and leisure activities, civic spaces and natural life? and the way he presents them in a style ranging from realism to visible brushwork, and even caricature. In addition, we learn how Raphael became an educator and played a key role in establishing institutions that would come to define the national cultural scene, notably the Art Association of Montreal. Enlightening and unforgettable, William Raphael: Life & Work unveils the story of an artist of broad outlook, fertile activity, and determination through an unprecedented body of work that captures the spirit of an emerging country.