Roman Standard
Tracey Emin, Roman Standard, Lassonde Art Trail. © Emin / DACS, London / CARCC Ottawa 2026. Photo Vid Ingelevics and Ryan Walker. Courtesy LAT, National Gallery of Canada and White Cube.
Roman Standard, 2013
Tracey Emin
Bronze with patina, steel with wax and pigment coating
Étendard romain, 2013
Bronze à patine, acier avec revêtement de cire et pigments
A small bird perches on a pole in Tracey Emin’s reinterpretation of the Roman standard—an emblem mounted on a staff that once identified a military legion, serving as a rallying point in battle. While animal motifs on these standards often symbolized power, most notably the eagle, Emin turns our attention to a modest songbird. She describes her work as a symbol of “hope, faith and spirituality”, highlighting the significance of every organism living within the evolving ecosystem of Biidaasige Park.
Roman Standard is on loan from the National Gallery of Canada as part of its National Engagement initiative.
Un petit oiseau est perché sur un mât dans l’interprétation qu’Emin fait d’un étendard romain—un emblème monté sur une hampe qui, autrefois, identifiait une légion militaire et servait de point de ralliement au combat. Alors que les motifs animaliers sur ces étendards symbolisent souvent le pouvoir, notamment l’aigle, Emin attire notre attention sur un modeste oiseau chanteur. Elle décrit son œuvre comme étant un symbole « d’espoir, de foi et de spiritualité », soulignant l’importance de chaque organisme vivant au sein de l’écosystème en constante évolution du parc Biidaasige.
Étendard romain est un prêt du Musée des beaux-arts du Canada dans le cadre de son initiative Rayonnement national.
Tracey Emin
British
Dame Tracey Emin is a British artist currently living and working between London, the South of France and Margate, UK. In 2007, Emin represented Great Britain at the 52nd Venice Biennale, Italy; and her installation My Bed (1998) has been included in ‘In Focus’ displays at Tate Britain; Tate Liverpool; and Turner Contemporary, Margate. In 2011, Emin was appointed Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and in 2012, was made Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her contributions to the visual arts. In 2024, she was honoured with a Damehood for her services to art.
Emin has exhibited extensively including major exhibitions at Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut; Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy; Faurschou Foundation, NYC, New York; Jupiter, Artland, Edinburgh, Scotland; Munchmuseet, Oslo, Norway; Royal Academy of Arts, London, England; Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France; Château La Coste, Aix-en-Provence, France; Leopold Museum, Vienna, Austria; Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami, Florida; Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Turner Contemporary, Margate, England; Hayward Gallery, London, England; Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland; Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh; Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Málaga, Spain; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Portrait of Tracey Emin. Photo Harry Weller.
