‘The Group of Seven” Artists

“Gas Chamber at Seaford” a piece of war art by Frederick Varley

This painting by F.H. Varley, a future member of the Group of Seven, depicts a training exercise in Seaford, England. Soldiers emerge from a gas hut wearing respirators attached. Training to protect against gas attacks gradually became more realistic to better reflect combat conditions.

— for educational purposes only

McMichael Canadian Art Collection > Group of Seven

In the early decades of the twentieth century, circumstances brought together several artists who were committed to exploring, through art, the unique character of the Canadian landscape. Collectively they agreed: Canada’s rugged wilderness regions needed to be recorded in a distinctive painting style. This style would break from European tradition and reflect an increasingly nationalistic sentiment.

Today, these men are among Canada’s most famous artists. For many, their works have come to symbolize what is the distinctly Canadian identity.

Group of Seven (artists)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Group of Seven, also known as the Algonquin School, was a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920 to 1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael (1890–1945), Lawren Harris (1885–1970), A. Y. Jackson (1882–1972), Frank Johnston (1888–1949), Arthur Lismer (1885–1969), J. E. H. MacDonald (1873–1932), and Frederick Varley (1881–1969). Later, A. J. Casson (1898–1992) was invited to join in 1926; Edwin Holgate (1892–1977) became a member in 1930; and LeMoine FitzGerald (1890–1956) joined in 1932.

Two artists commonly associated with the group are Tom Thomson (1877–1917) and Emily Carr (1871–1945). Although he died before its official formation, Thomson had a significant influence on the group. In his essay “The Story of the Group of Seven”, Lawren Harris wrote that Thomson was “a part of the movement before we pinned a label on it”; Thomson’s paintings “The West Wind” and “The Jack Pine” are two of the group’s most iconic pieces.^[1] Emily Carr was also closely associated with the Group of Seven, though was never an official member.

Believing that a distinct Canadian art could be developed through direct contact with nature,^[2] The Group of Seven is most famous for its paintings inspired by the Canadian landscape, and initiated the first major Canadian national art movement.^[3] The Group was succeeded by the Canadian Group of Painters in the 1930s, which did include female members.^[4]