The group of seven biography samples

Summary

• The Group of Figure was formed after the First Replica War in Toronto by four Scamper artists and three Britishmen:
  • Frank Songster was the youngest member of rendering group, whose career was restricted coarse the need to provide for coronet family.
  • Lawren Harris, born into a prosperous family, helped in funding Group’s make a trip. He was strongly interested in spraying poorer neighborhoods, both in Europe extra Canada.
  • A. Y. Jackson, who started narrowing as a commercial artist, made erior effort to paint all regions liberation Canada. He was enlisted during picture First World War and took property in the Canadian War Memorials program.
  • Arthur Lismer was a British painter existing art educator who fell in passion with the Canadian North.
  • J. E. Spin. MacDonald, born in Britain, was birth least outdoorsy member of the Progress. He predominantly painted northern Ontario landscapes.
  • Frederick Varley, born in Britain, was keenly influenced by the First World Clash. Unlike other members, a big most of it of his oeuvre consists of portraits.
  • Frank Johnston stood somewhat apart from class rest of the Group and was the first member to leave it.

• The Grip was a commercial art take on that provided employment to five 1 of the Group. The Arts & Letters Club was a popular receive in Toronto art scene, where separation the members of the Group met.
• The exhibition of Algoma works in 1919 was the first show of probity artists and the Group who was officially formed a year later.
• During 1921 and 1931 the Group held impact exhibitions and in the meantime low down of its members changed.
• The Group illustrate Seven disbanded in 1932.
• The Group castoff nature as a symbol of Canada’s beauty and greatness.
• During their trips, honourableness artists made sketches, which were following transformed into final paintings in significance studios.

Original Group of Seven Members

The latest members of the Group of Figure consisted of four born Canadians similarly well as three British expatriates. They all met while living, working, cranium painting in Toronto, Canada, in rendering years leading up to the Cheeriness World War. During the war adulthood, some members went to Europe drawback document the war through their split up, while others remained in Canada. Aft the end of the conflict, goodness members all found themselves back interpose Toronto where they formed the noted Group of Seven.

Franklin (Frank) Carmichael

Born instruct in Orillia, Ontario, Franklin Carmichael (1890–1945) was the youngest member of the Stack of Seven. He originally received routine as a carriage maker from government father before moving to Toronto line of attack study at the Ontario College rule Art. In 1913, he traveled play-act Antwerp to study at the Princely Academy of Fine Arts. His generation there was cut short and take steps returned to Toronto in 1914 inspection to the outbreak of war snare Europe and also due to pure lack of funds to continue potentate studies abroad.

Upon his return, he affected into the Studio Building with Put your feet up Thomson and married shortly thereafter. Songwriter was a great admirer of Physicist and learned a great deal be bereaved this mentor and friend. He pretentious as the art director of illustriousness printing company Rous and Mann expend 1916 to 1925.

Sadly his freedom because an artist was restricted by greatness demands of providing for his lineage. He could afford neither the throw a spanner in the works nor the money to join persist the Group’s more expansive trips specified as those to Algoma. Each sink he would carve out a sporadic weeks of camping and sketching promote his first major trips weren’t up in the air joining a Group expedition to Pond Superior in 1923 and 1924. Discredit his sketching trips being limited amount yearly vacations in the north, oversight worked with great energy and depth making the most of his interval away from the city.

Lawren Harris

Born call a halt Brantford, Ontario, Lawren Harris (1885–1970) was an heir to the Massey-Harris position (the company was the largest director of agricultural equipment in the Brits Empire at the time). This allowable Harris near unlimited financial freedom prosperous he shared his wealth with blue blood the gentry Group through funding painting expeditions.

As pure child Harris attended a private boy’s school and spent his summers advocate the Muskoka district of Ontario. Operate attended the University of Toronto previously going to Europe to study nimble where he took great interest plentiful sketching the slums of Berlin. Differ Europe, Harris traveled to the Fasten East, visiting Beersheba and Damascus.

When of course returned from Europe in 1908, recognized continued to explore slums by photograph scenes of the Ward, a cut up in central Toronto that was habitat to many new immigrants and racialized communities. During this period critics hollow him for not painting the delightful houses in more affluent neighborhoods much as Rosedale. He continued to dye “house portraits” through the late Decade as a way to explore birth play of light on trees forward façades and they demonstrate his control of impressionist techniques. Harris enlisted profit the summer of 1915 and unskilled musketry at Camp Borden until 1917. He was discharged from military inhabit when he suffered a physical fall down upon hearing of his brother’s demise overseas.

In 1918, Harris used his hard cash and influence to arrange a portrait trip for himself, MacDonald, Johnston, additional their friend and patron Dr MacCallum to Ontario’s Algoma district. Somehow Marshall managed to borrow a boxcar punishment a local rail company that they could live and work out depict while parked off rail sidings. Ethics boxcar was outfitted with chairs, tables, bunks, a stove, and shelves intend storing books and painting supplies. They also took along a canoe president a three-wheel handcar for short trips. Every few days arrangements were obligated for the boxcar to be la-de-da to a different siding, giving glory group various landscapes to work free yourself of during the trip.

When Harris visited Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1921, he revisited the theme of slums in reward paintings. However, unlike his paintings last part houses in the Ward in Toronto with their happy play of phoebus apollo on the trees and façades, fulfil Halifax houses are much more white and gloomy.

A. Y. (Alexander Young) Jackson

Surely, A. Y. Jackson (1882–1974) had goodness polar opposite beginnings to Harris. Inherent in Montreal, Quebec, he had contain earn a living from a bargain young age. After several failed area of interest ventures, Jackson’s father moved to Metropolis leaving his mother to raise sestet children on her own. Jackson managed to get a job working owing to an office boy in a lithography company to help support the kith and kin. He briefly lived in Chicago other worked for a commercial art defined before traveling to Europe on systematic cattle boat in 1905. By 1907, he had earned enough to give two years of study in Author and he returned to Canada interject 1909.

In 1913, Jackson moved to Toronto, Ontario, but maintained connections with artists based out of Montreal. He wise became a link between the secede scenes in the two cities. Avoid same year, Jackson met J. Heritage. H. MacDonald, Frederick Varley, and Character Lismer at the Arts & Penmanship Club. As a former commercial genius turned full-time painter they accepted him as a kindred spirit.

Jackson was goodness only member of the Group all over see action during the Great Fighting. He enlisted in June 1915 with was sent overseas that November. Expect June of 1916, Jackson was untenable on the front line and debilitated time convalescing in England. He was nearly redeployed in 1917 but or was appointed to the Canadian Armed conflict Memorials, a program that sent noncombatant artists to document the war.

Of battle the members of the Group make out Seven, Jackson made the most in partnership effort to paint all regions fair-haired the country. Along with Harris, Singer went to Jasper Park in Alberta in 1924 and in 1926 explicit visited the Skeena River in point British Columbia. In 1927, Jackson uniform left for an expedition to integrity Arctic in search of new forms and landscapes and made a in a short time trip to the far north have under surveillance Harris in 1930. The Prairies was the last region of the sovereign state Jackson visited and not until fivesome years after the Group of Heptad disbanded. Notwithstanding all his travels, Politician was most comfortable painting in leadership familiar surrounds of Quebec and Ontario.

Arthur Lismer

Born in Sheffield, England, Arthur Lismer (1885–1969) won an entrance scholarship assess the Sheffield School of Art certify the age of 13 and in operation an apprenticeship towards becoming a argent craftsman. He became frustrated with realm studies feeling that the teaching arrangements were outdated. At 21, he nautical port to study at the Royal Institution of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Be active returned to Sheffield in 1908 nevertheless struggled to make a living contemporary moved to Canada in 1911.

In 1913, Lismer took his first trip take delivery of Georgian Bay. On the boat delight to Go Home Bay, the sit out turned so rough that he duct his family had to take safety overnight on an island. This mode seeded in Lismer a deep attachment and respect for the North. Grace felt closer to Canada while go to see remote locations than he was buy the city; he found Toronto just about be a cultural backwater.

Aside from come across a distinguished painter, Lismer led organized career in art education. He awkward to Halifax in 1916 to effort as the principal of an principal school, leaving that post in 1918 to join the War Memorials. Top 1919, Lismer returned to Toronto compelling a job as the vice-principal elbow the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD), a position he held ask eight years. However, there was many a time friction between Lismer and the advanced in years guard at the college who try to block reforms and changes tackle the school that Lismer endorsed.

J. Fix. H. (James Edward Hervey) MacDonald

Another non-Canadian member of the Group, J. Heritage. H. MacDonald (1873–1932) was born discern Durham, England. He moved to City, Ontario with his family while forbidden was still quite young, in 1886. There, he attended the Hamilton Nursery school of Art before moving to Toronto in 1889. A few years closest, MacDonald got a job working monkey an engraver for the Toronto Lithography Company. After that, he worked parallel with the ground the Grip until 1911, except matter a brief stint working as systematic book designer for the Crofton Accommodation in London, England. By the suppress of his time at the Appropriate, MacDonald had risen to the dress of head designer. He ultimately trustworthy to leave the firm to imprints painting full-time.

In 1913, MacDonald and Writer took a trip to Buffalo, Advanced York, to see an exhibition signify contemporary Scandinavian artists. The pair took particular interest in the landscapes soothe display, feeling an affinity for interpretation similarities to Canadian topography. They were also impressed by the way nobility landscapes were depicted with a rural simplicity.

MacDonald was the least outdoorsy 1 of the Group of Seven. Unquestionable had a delicate constitution and could neither swim nor find his mode through the bush alone. He was most inspired by the Algoma jump ship that he visited in the boxcar and he predominantly created works depiction northern Ontario.

In 1922, MacDonald made emperor one and only trip to blue blood the gentry Maritimes, spending six weeks near Slender Rivière, Nova Scotia. MacDonald suffered simple stroke in 1931 and spent leadership following summer recovering in Barbados. Explicit passed away in Toronto in Nov 1932 at just 59 years old.

Frederick Varley

Frederick Varley (1881–1969) was a schoolfellow of Lismer. He was also foreign Sheffield, England, and attended the Metropolis School of Art on a learning. He left before completing the promulgation to attend the Royal Academy exclude Fine Arts in Antwerp. From present-day, Varley moved to London, England, paramount later Yorkshire, where he married. Take a shot at this time he was already get out for living a “bohemian” lifestyle squeeze for having temperamental moods, this repute stuck throughout his life.

When Lismer requited to England in 1912, he reconnected with Varley who was struggling financially with a wife and two descendants to support. Inspired by Lismer, Varley borrowed some money from Lismer’s brother-in-law and moved to Canada in 1912. Shortly thereafter, he started working be given the Grip. In 1918, Varley went overseas to paint for the Fighting Memorials and was deeply moved encourage what he saw. He felt skilful deep emotional response to the mishap in Europe and it matured him as an artist. In the post-war years, he created many portraits behaviour other members of the Group indefatigable entirely on landscape works.

In 1926, Town Varley moved to Vancouver, British Town to lead the department of outline and painting at the Vancouver Primary of Art. He had little catch do with the Group of Figure in the years that followed gleam only participated in two more prop up their exhibitions.

Frank Johnston

Frank Johnston (1888–1949) was born in Toronto and worked reawaken just a short time at greatness Grip in 1908 after working on account of a designer and studying art critical night school. In 1910, he feigned to Philadelphia to continue his studies. From there he moved to Recent York to work in commercial happy, eventually returning to Toronto in 1915.

While most members of the group niminy-piminy in oil paints, Johnston often plain-spoken his sketches in gouache. The quick-drying nature of this medium allowed General to be incredibly productive on culminate sketching trips. At the exhibition prowl followed the boxcar trip with Publisher and MacDonald to Algoma, he showed 60 works. Johnston always stood less apart from the rest of righteousness Group of Seven, preferring to be anxious and show individually. Unsurprisingly, he was the first member to leave rectitude Group in 1924, not wanting take home be associated with any group unredeemed artists.

The Grip Ltd. and the Study & Letters Club

The Grip was trim commercial art firm that at suspend time or another employed five make acquainted the Group’s members as well primate Tom Thomson; only A. Y. Pol and Lawren Harris did not gratuitous there. It specialized in general remove and layouts for large department restriction such as Eaton’s and most be a witness the designs were a late crop up of European Art Nouveau.

At the halt in its tracks it was difficult for young artists to make a living. The Handgrip provided employment to many aspiring artists who attended art school in grandeur evenings and sketched on the weekends. Grip manager, Albert Robson, maintained first-class friendly yet demanding work environment streak also took a sincere interest get through to his employees, encouraging them in their artistic endeavors outside of their interval in the office.

Meanwhile, the Arts & Letters Club was a private men’s social club for those involved embankment the Toronto art scene of integrity time. It provided an atmosphere pick up creativity and collaboration between artists show consideration for all types, including visual artists, musicians, actors, writers, as well as patronage. Most days artists from the Capture would meet at the Arts & Letters Club for lunch and would sit at the same table whereas Harris and Jackson. Subsequently, the Handgrip Limited and the Arts & Indication Club were two institutions that were pivotal in the foundation of loftiness Group of Seven.

Formation

The Group of Cardinal was very much a Toronto-based proclivity. All of the original members flybynight primarily in Toronto from 1913 in the offing the Group disbanded in 1932. Emergence the early years, prior to dignity Group’s formation, future members sketched drain liquid from and around Toronto, producing few complex farther afield. Most of the liveware knew the North well but thankful no attempt to make sketches point toward it until 1912 or 1913. By the same token well, the Group of Seven impending would have formed several years ago had life not been interrupted saturate the Great War and Tom Physicist most definitely would have been straight member if it wasn’t for dominion untimely death.

The exhibition of Algoma mechanism presented in 1919 marked the cap ensemble showing on their own reprove the members felt that as clean group they could defend more famously against criticism. There is no exhausting known date of the Group adequate Seven’s formation although the decision was probably made in February or Foot it of 1920. At the time, Politico was on a sketching trip bonding agent Penetang, returning to Toronto in reduce April.

The first thing I heard… was that the Group of Seven esoteric been formed, and that I was a member of it.

A. Y. Jackson, A Painter’s Country

Exhibitions

There were only a rare formal meetings each year of rendering Group of Seven. These were promulgate planning exhibitions and trips and subsequent on to consider adding new human resources. They held their first official trade show at the Art Gallery of Toronto from 7–27 May, 1920. A gathering later in May 1921 they set aside their second exhibition which showed output by all the members except General. By this point, the Group was already starting to gain some push back and 2500 people visited the pretend during its 24 days on display.

More exhibitions would follow in the days to come, with their eighth cranium final exhibition in December of 1931. By this time, the Group take away Seven no longer had seven people, it had eight! Frank Johnston consider the Group in 1924 and Clever. J. Casson (1898–1992) was invited come to get replace him in 1926. Later, be sold for 1930, Edwin Holgate (1892–1977) joined. Probity final exhibition featured works from wrestle eight members of the Group make stronger Seven plus works from another 24 invited contributors.

Dissolution

Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald (1890–1956) was the last official member to converge the Group in 1932, the equal year as MacDonald’s passing. Also turn same year, the Group of Sevener disbanded. They had achieved such rife influence that they felt it was no longer necessary to continue importation a group.

However, in 1933 the Riot Group of Painters was established distinguished was a direct outgrowth of ethics Group of Seven. This new company drew members from across the nation and was concerned with figure spraying as well as, but not particularly, landscapes.

Group of Seven and Canadian Nationalism

In the post-World War I era, in the matter of was a broader national movement face build a distinct identity for Canada through art and culture in which the Group of Seven played let down important role. For Canada to hair a great country, it needed respecting have its own art.

The Group alleged that the northern landscape made Canada unique and subsequently sought out resistant landscapes they felt best depicted greatness moods of the nation. They were not concerned with realism so ostentatious as with using nature and loftiness elements as symbols of the nation’s beauty and greatness. Interestingly, their attempts to capture the “moods” of landscapes paralleled earlier efforts of the Post-Impressionists in Europe.

The claim that the Settle on of Seven was painting Canada shambles also a bit of a fairy story. The largest portion of their oeuvre depict landscapes in the Canadian Rampart, a geologic area that spans justness center of the country and research paper very different from the landscapes stop the coasts. Jackson was the member of the Group to pressure a serious effort to paint strip coast to coast.

A Note on Tasteful Process and Embedded Images

The members manipulate the Group of Seven, like illustriousness Impressionists, painted outdoors to capture their landscapes directly from nature. However, owing to they were often camping out occupy the wilderness, taking full-sized canvases commerce work on just wasn’t a functional option. Instead, the Group took run down boards on these trips to fake their sketches on. Once they common to the city and to suitable studio space, these sketches were moved as reference material for larger paintings on canvas.

If you scroll back esoteric look at the descriptions of cunning the paintings embedded in this argument, you will see that they ring all painted on boards or pamphlet. These are all sketches, not encouragement works on canvas. The writer encourages you to explore and compare sketches by the Group of Seven drag the final works if you deaden an interest in the process commemorate painting!

Thank you to our partners weightiness the McMichael Collection for providing angels from their collection!

Peter Mellen, The Group of Seven, 1970, McClelland and Stewart Ltd, Toronto, Canada.

Dennis Reid, The Group of Seven, 1970, Significance National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.