To all my Canadian friends Group of Seven & Tom Thomson The Spirit of Canada Lawren Harris “ The story of the Group of Seven is that of seven artists who came together in a creative venture that no one of them could have carried through on his own.” The Jack Pine (Detail). 1916-17. Tom Thomson. To all my Canadian friends First created 19 July 2013. Version 1.1 - 28 July 2013. Jerry Tse. London.
In the early 20C, Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven artists wanted to create an art for the new country of Canada. These are some of the their paintings Toronto. 1912 Group of Seven founded in 1920. Yonge Steet.
Tom Thomson 1877-1917 Thomson Thomson’s paintings are very colourful. Autumn Garland. 1915-16. Oil on canvas. 122.5x132.2 cm. Tom Thomson. Canadian. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Thomson Spring Ice. 1916. Oil on canvas. 63.5x53.3 cm. Tom Thomson. Canadian. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Thomson The West Wind. 1916-17. Oil on canvas. 120.7x137.9 cm. Tom Thomson. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto.
Thomson The Drive. 1916. Oil on canvas. 120.7x137.5 cm. Tom Thomson. Macdonald Stewart Art Centre. Guelph.
JEH MacDonald 1873-1932 MacDonald Tracks and Traffic. 1912. Oil on canvas. 71.1x101.6 cm. JEH MacDonald. Canadian. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto.
MacDonald The Tangled Garden. 1916. Oil on beaverboard. 121.4x152.4 cm. JEH McDonald. Canadian. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
MacDonald The Solemn Land. 1921. Oil on canvas. 122.5x153.5 cm. JEH MacDonald. Canadian. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto.
F Varley 1881-1969 Varley For What?. 1918. Oil on canvas. 147.4x180.6 cm. F H Varley. Canadian. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto.
Varley Squarely Weather, Georgian Bay. 1920. Oil on canvas. 30x41 cm. FH Varley. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Varley Portrait of Mrs E. 1921. Oil on canvas. 103.2x86.4 cm. F H Varley. Canadian. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto.
A Jackson 1882-1974 Jackson The Red Maple. 1914. Oil on canvas. 82.0 x 99.5 cm. A Y Jackson. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Jackson Frozen Lake, Early Spring Algonquin Park. 1914. Oil on canvas. 81.4x99.4 cm. AY Jackson. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Jackson Camouflaged Huts, Villers-au-Bois. 1917. Oil on canvas. 88.1x111.8 cm. AY Jackson. War Museum. Ottawa.
Jackson The “Beothic” at Bache Post, Ellesmer Island. 1929. Oil on canvas. 81.6x102.1 cm. A Y Jackson. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Lismer Arthur Lismer 1885-1969 The Guide’s Home, Algonquin. 1914. Oil on canvas. 102.6x114.4 cm. Arthur Lismer. Canadian. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Lismer The Group wanted to develop a similar style to set Canada apart from their European influence. Sumach and Maple. 1915. Oil on canvas. 127x101.6 cm. Arthur Lismer. Canadian. The Hudson’s bay Company Gallery.
Lismer Minesweepers at Sea. 1917. Oil on canvas. 30x41 cm. Arthur Lismer. Canadian. Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Halifax.
Lismer A September Gale, Georgian Bay. 1921. Oil on canvas. 122.4x163 cm. Arthur Lismer. Canadian. National Gallery of Canada Ottawa.
Lismer Autumn, Bon Echo. 1923. Oil on canvas. 106x132.9 cm. Arthur Lismer. Canadian. Mendel Art Gallery. Saakatoon.
Lismer Seal Cove, Grand Manan. 1931. Oil on canvas. 91.4x101.6 cm. Arthur Lismer. Canadian. Sidney Dawes Collection. McGill University. Montreal.
Lawren Harris 1885-1970 Harris Snow II. 1915. Oil on canvas. 120.3x127.3 cm. A Y Lawren Harris. Canadian. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Harris Winter Afternoon, City Street, Toronto. 1918. Oil on canvas. 102.9x114. cm. Arthur Lismer. Canadian. The Hudson’s bay Company Gallery.
Harris “The story of the Group of Seven is that of seven artists who came together in a creative venture that no one of them could have carried through on his own”, Lawren Harris. Portrait (Bess Housser). c1920. Oil on canvas. 112.5 x 92.2 cm. Lawren Harris. Canadian. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto.
Harris Billboard. 1920. Oil on canvas. 108x127.6. cm. Lawren Harris Canadian. Private Collection.
Harris Algoma Hill. 1920. Oil on canvas. 117x137 cm. Lawren Harris. Canadian. University Health Network. Toronto.
Harris Lake in Algoma. c1925. Oil on canvas. 105 x 125 cm. Lawren Harris. Canadian. Magna International.
Harris Mt Lefroy. 1930. Oil on canvas. 133.5 x 153.5 cm. Lawren Harris. Canadian. McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Kleinburg.
Frank Johnston 1888-1949 Johnston This painting is of the earliest view of Canada from the air. Canada emerged from the First World War, proud and victorious. The country became one of the front rank of nations in the world. Diversion of resources to support the war efforts led to unemployment at home. It also brought home the tragedy of war. Beanville. 1918-19. Oil and charcoal on canvas. 182.8x137.1 cm. Frank Johnston. Canadian. Canadian War Museum. Ottawa.
Johnston Fire-swept, Algoma. 1920. Oil on canvas. 127.5x167.5 cm. Frank Johnston. Canadian. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Johnston The Dark Woods, Interior. c1920. Gouache on masonite. 55.9x46.7 cm. Frank Johnston. Canadian. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto.
Franklin Carmichael 1890-1945 Carmichael Autumn Hillside. 1920. Oil on canvas. 76x91.4 cm. Frank Carmichael. Canadian. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto.
Carmichael The Upper Ottawa, near Mattawa. 1924. Oil on canvas. 101x123 cm. Franklin Carmichael. Canadian. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Carmichael A Northern Silver Mine. 1930. Oil on canvas. 101.5x121.2 cm. Frank Carmichael. Canadian. McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Kleinburg.
Carmichael Grace Lake. 1931. Oil on canvas. 101.6x122 cm. Frank Carmichael. Canadian. McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Kleinburg.
LeMoine Fitzgerald 1890-1956 Fitzgerald The Harvester. c1921 Oil and canvas. 66.8x59.5 cm. LeMoine Fitzgerald. Canadian. McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Kleinburg.
Fitzgerald Doc Snyder’s House. 1931. Oil on canvas. 74.9x85.1 cm. LeMoine FitzGerald. Canadian. National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa.
Edwin Holgate 1892-1977 Holgate Lumberjack. 1924. Oil on canvas. 64.8x54.6cm. Edwin Holgate. Canadian. Gallery Lambton. Sarnia.
Holgate Chief Tsimshian Jim Larahnitz. 1926. Charcoal and brown chalk on paper. 58.5x47.1 cm. Edwin Holgate. Canadian. Musee du Quebec. Quebec City.
Alfred J Casson 1898-1993 Casson Mill House. 1928. Oil on canvas. 76.2x91.4 cm. AJ Casson. Canadian. Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Queen’s University. Ontario.
Casson Old Store at Salem. 1931. Oil on canvas. 76.7x91.5 cm. AJ Casson. Canadian. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto.
Casson White Pine. 1951. Oil on canvas. 76x101.3 cm. AJ Casson. Canadian. McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Kleinburg.
Chronology 1913 Thomson, MacDonald, Lismer, Varley, Johnston and Carmichael met as employee of the design firm Grip Ltd. Later joined by Harris and Jackson. 1917 Thomson died in an accident, before the Group of Seven was formed 1919 Ending of War World I, which delayed the formation of the group. 1920 Group of Seven formed, followed by an exhibition a month later in the Art Gallery of Toronto 1923-4 The American exhibition in Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha, Milwaukee, Rhode Island and Worcester and Brooklyn Museum. 1924 World debut at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, London. 1931 The group disbanded and was replaced by The Canadian Group of Painters. 1970 The Group of Seven works appeared on postage stamps and again in 1995. 1917 Thomson died 1919 World War One ended 1920 Formation of the Group of Seven, followed by the first Group of Seven exhibition, one months later in Art Gallery of Toronto (Art Gallery of Ontario). 1924 Exhibition at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley. 1931 The Group of Seven disbanded and was replaced by The Canadian Group of painters. 2001 Group of Seven Exhibition in China – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. 2011 Group of Seven Exhibition in Dulwich Picture Galley, south London. 1975 The first showing of the Group of Seven paintings in China, during the Cultural Revolution 2001 The Group of Seven Exhibition in China – in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. 2011 The Group of Seven Exhibition in Dulwich Picture Galley, London, in Holland and Norway.
The End To love one’s country Without belittled others Without creating a national myth Without triumphant national virtues Without promoting an ideology Without the greatness of power Without being exclusive But on the heritage of an inspiration The End I love Canadian Nationalism. It is a love of a country without be little others, without creating their own national myth, without trumpeting their national virtues, without promotion of a superior ideology, without the greatness of national power, but a record of a heritage of an ascending country. The lone pine is a symbol of romantic solitude and the stand against nature for survival. Music – An extract of the national anthem of Canada ‘O Canada’. All rights reserved. Rights belong to their respective owners. Available free for non-commercial and personal use.