CANADIAN ART:

The Late 1800’s

Canadian artists working in the late 1800’s and early

1900’s painted landscapes in a fairly realistic style.

They painted what they saw without expressing any

feeling or emotions. This style of painting landscapes

with a soft, quiet, tame, and inviting appearance

originated in Europe. These landscapes were full of

realistic details and natural colours, but they lacked

personal expression.

September Afternoon, Eastern

Townships 1873

At the Rogers Pass, Summit of the

Selkirk Range, B.C. 1886

Homer Watson John A. Fraser

CANADIAN ART:

THE GROUP OF SEVEN

The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 to develop a

new style of Canadian painting with a distinct Canadian

identity. These artists painted what they saw, but

added imagination and feeling. They were especially

interested in expressing the wild, untamed spirit of the

Canadian wilderness in their paintings.

The artists often travelled into the wilderness to make

sketches in the open air. They wanted to capture the

atmosphere, the effects of light, and the spirituality and

ruggedness of the northern Canadian landscape. In

order to accomplish this, their style was also rugged,

expressive, and powerful.

THE GROUP OF SEVEN

PAINTING STYLE

a)Colours: bold and vibrant or bold and dark/dull

high contrast between lights and darks

b) Shapes/Forms: simplified with few details

almost 2 dimensional

abstract

c) Brushstrokes: thick paint application (impasto)

often visible (not blended)

Franklin Carmichael

Mirror Lake 1929Lake Wabagishik 1928

Arthur Lismer

Bright Land 1938A September Gale, Georgian Bay 1921

J.E.H. MacDonald

Mist Fantasy 1922The Solemn Land 1921

F.H. Varley

Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay 1922 Autumn Hills 1948

A.Y. Jackson

Night, Pine Island 1921Terre Sauvage 1913

A.J. Casson

October Morning 1934 Algoma 1929

Lawren Harris

Lake and Mountains 1928 Northern Lake 1923

Artists Associated with the

Group of 7

The Group of Seven had artists that were

not technically members but worked

closely with them and shared a similar

philosophy and over all style.

Tom Thomson

The Jack Pine 1916-17The West Wind 1916

Emily Carr

Odds and Ends, 1939 Indian Church, 1929