Wender·Vista
Montreal
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileCanada
on an island in the St. Lawrence River, Québec

Montreal

— — the city that keeps two languages alive in one breath.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“An island city in the Saint Lawrence, with a basilica at one end and a green mountain rising in the middle. French is the working language; English runs alongside it on every block. Winter holds the city for five months, and the rivers freeze hard enough to walk on. In May the cherry trees go off along the McGill campus and the patios open overnight.

from the studio
Montreal
— bring it home

Montreal, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Montreal

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Montréal is built on the Island of Montréal in the Saint Lawrence River, in southern Québec. Population sits near 1.8 million in the city proper and around 4.3 million across the metropolitan area. Mont-Royal, the small mountain at the centre, rises to 234 metres and gives the city its name. The city was founded as Ville-Marie in 1642 by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve. Old Montréal, along the river, preserves seventeenth- and eighteenth-century stone architecture and remains the historic core.

— the year

Montréal has a continental climate with sharp seasonal swings. January averages around -10°C, and snow holds the ground from December through March. The Saint Lawrence freezes along the shore most winters. Summer reaches the high twenties Celsius, and July and August carry the city's outdoor festival run: the International Jazz Festival in late June, Just for Laughs and the Osheaga music festival in July and August. Spring is short. Autumn turns Mont-Royal red and gold in early October.

— the visit

Trudeau International Airport sits about twenty kilometres west of downtown, served by the 747 express bus to the Berri-UQAM Métro station. The Métro, four lines and 68 stations, runs cleanly under the city. Old Montréal, Notre-Dame Basilica, and the Vieux-Port hold the river edge. Mile End, Plateau Mont-Royal, and Little Italy are the residential cores worth walking. The summit road on Mont-Royal closes to cars on Sundays through the summer, and Parc Jean-Drapeau lies just across the river.

— where
Canada · Montréal, Québec
— elevation
36 m · 118 ft
— position
45.5019° N · 73.5674° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
3 km NW
Mont-Royal
urban mountain
1 km S
Notre-Dame Basilica
basilica
1 km S
Old Montréal
historic district
3 km SE
Parc Jean-Drapeau
river park
4 km N
Mile End
neighbourhood
N
Montreal
Mont-Royal
Notre-Dame Basilica
Old Montréal
Parc Jean-Drapeau
Mile End
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Montreal — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

French is the official and working language of Québec, and Montréal operates primarily in French. English is widely spoken, especially on the western side of the island, and most residents move between the two languages.

The name comes from Mont-Royal, the 234-metre mountain at the centre of the island. Jacques Cartier recorded the name in 1535. The city itself was founded as Ville-Marie in 1642 by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve.

Late June through August carries the city's outdoor festival run, including the International Jazz Festival, Just for Laughs, and Osheaga. Early October catches the autumn colour on Mont-Royal. Winter brings reliable snow from December through March.

Old Montréal, or Vieux-Montréal, is the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century stone core of the city along the Saint Lawrence River. Notre-Dame Basilica, the Bonsecours Market, and Place Jacques-Cartier sit within its few square blocks.

Yes. The city is built on the Island of Montréal in the Saint Lawrence River, with the smaller Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame holding Parc Jean-Drapeau just across the river to the south.

January averages around -10°C, and overnight lows in deep winter drop below -20°C. Snow holds the ground from December through March. The city is built for it: underground tunnels and the Métro keep daily life moving.

— about the piece in your home

Many of our customers buy it for someone who grew up in the city or who studied there. The piece reads as Mont-Royal and the river, not a tourist landmark. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note carries well.

The piece sits well in jewel-tone Maximalist rooms, in Plateau-style apartments with patterned rugs, and in warm urban-modern interiors. The colour leads, so the wall around it should stay quiet.

A single Large reads cleanly above a console. Above a sofa, a 4-tile Mural carries the wall; a 9-tile Mural anchors a larger room where the artwork is meant to lead.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for kitchens and bathrooms. Both are scratch-resistant and stable in steam. The Glossy finish lives in dry rooms — entryway, living room, study.

A soft microfibre cloth and water. Avoid abrasives and household solvents. The colour is held inside the ceramic surface beneath a thin glossy finish, and stays stable under normal household conditions.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio. There is no licensing in or out. Reid Wender chooses each place, and the work is hand-finished in Knoxville, Tennessee.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.