The Group of Seven: Painters in the Wilderness
The Story
Around 1912 a loosely knit group of artists began to paint Canada as they saw it. Sketch boxes in tow, they journeyed all over the country to paint the wilderness with bold colours and a broad, decorative style. Despite the death of mentor Tom Thomson in 1917, these painters banded together as the Group of Seven in 1920 to forge a new Canadian expression. Their vision shaped how Canadians saw their own country and left a legacy that continues to provoke debate and discussion. Thanks to the estates of Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frederick Varley, Arthur Lismer and A.J. Casson for their assistance in this archival project.
Tom Thomson sketch appears at auction
A previously unknown work by Tom Thomson sells for $170,000.
Harris painting fetches $2.2 million at auction
Billionaire art collector Ken Thomson nabs Lawren Harris painting titled Baffin Island.
Lawren Harris and A.Y. Jackson go west
An Edmonton gallery stages a retrospective of two Group of Seven members' paintings of Alberta and B.C.
The Studio Building inspires Group of Seven artists
A profile of the building commissioned by Lawren Harris as a place for artists to live, work and paint.
The Group of Seven: The myth of the unspoiled wilderness
Two writers debate the mythology of Canadian nature as seen in the landscape paintings of the Group of Seven.
The Jack Pine by Tom Thomson
A curator's-eye view of one of Thomson's most famous paintings.
Arthur Lismer and the Halifax Explosion
Peter Gzowski learns about newly discovered sketches of the 1917 explosion in Halifax harbour.
True Thomson or flat-out fake?
A Hamilton art dealer insists a small double-sided birch panel was painted by Tom Thomson, but others aren't so sure.
A.J. Casson: the last of the Group of Seven
A.J. Casson was "the kid" when he joined the Group in 1926. Sixty years later, he's the only one left.
Canadian painting in the ‘30s
A report on the opening of a major exhibit of Canadian Depression-era painters.
Stories of Group’s rejection a myth
An art expert dispels the belief that the Group of Seven were not accepted by the Canadian art world of…
Remembering Franklin Carmichael and J.E.H. MacDonald
Arthur Lismer remembers deceased Group members Franklin Carmichael and J.E.H. MacDonald.
Buyers clamour for new A.J. Casson paintings
A gallery is mobbed as Casson's latest works go on the market.
Robert and Signe McMichael: the benefactors
At their home in Kleinburg, Ont. Robert and Signe McMichael share their collection of Group of Seven paintings with the…
A.Y. Jackson paints the First World War
The Group of Seven artist recalls his assignments as a war painter.
A visit to Frederick Varley
Frederick Varley reflects on life after the Group and his technique as a portrait painter.
Lawren Harris: landscapes become abstract
From his early city paintings to more recent abstract work, Lawren Harris has continued to evolve since his days with…
A.Y. Jackson still painting at 73
Rheumatism hasn't slowed down Group member A.Y. Jackson in 1955, and he still manages to produce 20 canvases a year.
The Group of Seven: a new artistic expression of Canada
Lawren Harris remembers why the Group of Seven banded together and how it was greeted by the critics.
1917: Painter Tom Thomson last seen alive
When the wilderness guide and painter disappeared, was it an accident - or murder?