In this critical history of the National Gallery of Canada, Douglas Ord explores how, in the gallery's development, art has consistently been linked to notions of religious truth, national spirit and hallowed atmosphere, culminating in Moshe Safdie's design for the institution's current building. Integrating accounts of political intrigue and public controversy with philosophy, art theory, and architectural analysis, Ord provides accounts of successive directors' struggles to obtain a permanent home for the nation's art. He looks at the gallery's historical and intellectual context - from...