The Group of Seven
& Tom Thomson
TOM THOMSON:PAINTING THE NORTH THE GROUP OF SEVEN: VIEWS OF LAWREN HARRIS
INTRODUCING ARTHUR LISMER FRANK CARMICHAEL DISCOVERS THE NORTH
TALKING WITH FREDRICK VARLEY MEET J. E. H. MACDONALD
A. Y. JACKSON MEETS THE GROUP THE LIFE OF LAWREN HARRIS
FRANK JOHNSTON DISCOVERS ART A QUIZ ABOUT THE GROUP

TOM THOMSON: PAINTING THE NORTH

     Tom Thomson was a wonderful artist and inspired the Group of Seven to paint the bush and rock of the Canadian North. He did not want to be an artist all of his life. As a young child he showed an interest in music and literature, but little in art. During his teenage years he began apprenticing as a machinist and later attended business school.
     He was undecided on a career but he soon made a choice. At age 24, he moved to Seattle, Washington, where he became proficient in design and lettering. He then worked at photo engraving and commercial art work companies, fishing in his spare time.
     Six years after his move to Seattle, he moved again to Ontario, Canada, where he joined Grip, the company where some of the future members of the Group of Seven were employed.
     Thomson then joined Rous and Mann, inspired by the wilderness of Algonquin Park to continue his art career. He often left the city to go exploring - and sketching of course - in his canoe. He wanted to find a new way of painting Canada so he could show the majesty to the people. He used new color combinations and strong brush strokes to paint the rocks, water, sky, and autumn leaves. Thomson was a careful observer, for his paintings required an artist with that skill. He wrote to his friend that "the maples are about all stripped of leaves now, but the birches are very rich in color… the best I can do does not do the place much justice in the way of beauty."
     Thomson became an expert canoeist and woodsman, sketching at Algonquin Park throughout fall and spring. When winter came, he retired to a construction shed outside the Studio Building, a space he had shared with A. Y. Jackson since 1914.
     Thomson died a tragic death in 1917 and was buried at Canoe Lake. He had drowned in Algonquin Park; the details of the death of this experienced woodsman are still a mystery. Some say he died while still approaching his artistic powers. But one thing is for certain: his unique images, bold color combinations and different brush strokes made people open their eyes and pay attention to the world of art. Tom Thomson helped us see the Canadian North in a striking, new way.


 THE GROUP OF SEVEN: THE VIEWS OF LAWREN HARRIS

    "What can you tell me about the Group of Seven, Mr. Harris?" the reporter asked Lawren Harris, the wealthiest member of the Group of Seven.
     "The story of the Group of Seven is a short one, as I am talking about the group in general," Mr. Harris paused. "Seven artists came together in a creative venture that no one of them could have carried through on his own. And in 1920, the Group of Seven was formed. But indeed we were very much distinct individuals with different thoughts and personalities.
     We called ourselves 'adventurers in paint' for we did live up to that title. Before our group was established, we were friends who loved talking and laughing with each other. But, I think, what we most liked to do was take a weekend off from the bustling of the city and enjoy a quiet, peaceful time exploring Canada's wilderness. Of course," he chuckled, "we would also bring some paper and pencils to sketch or paint the North, sharing our views and enthusiasms of nature through art."
     The reporter was jotting furiously by now. "Go back to what you said about each member being a different individual. What did you mean by that?"
     Mr. Harris thought a bit, then said, "Each one of us had different concerns about art - we seldom worked as a group except when preparing for exhibitions. We pursued our own ambitions and optimistic dreams, inspired by each other and Tom Thomson to paint.
     After our group was formed, we came up with our name because there is no one single theme to our work. We were just a group of seven artists, hence, the Group of Seven. Nothing significant changed in our lives after this group was established - we just continued as we had before, painting daily, meeting for drinks occasionally, and once in a while getting together to plan for exhibitions."
     "Why did the Group of Seven start this new way of painting?" the reporter asked, her hand poised over the page, ready to write.
     "Many of the other artists' ambitions were to imitate the rural scenes of Europe through art, and we didn't want to do that. We wanted to capture the spirit of Canada through the rough terrain - we wanted to make Canada come alive through our work - we wanted to be different.
     "Thank you, Mr. Harris."


 INTRODUCING ARTHUR LISMER

    Arthur Lismer was a friendly, outgoing individual and was sometimes recognized as a master of caricature. Born in Sheffield, England, Lismer showed an interest in art from a young age. His supportive parents were proud when Lismer won a scholarship to the Sheffield School of Art at age 13. Lismer started a 7-year apprenticeship to become a silver craftsman, but was unhappy and left to Antwerp, Belgium where he studied at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts. When Lismer returned, he moved to Toronto, Canada, where he heard commercial artists were doing well. In 1911, Lismer got a job at Grip where he met J. E. H. MacDonald, Frank Johnston, and Tom Thomson.
     After meeting Lawren Harris, he participated with great enthusiasm in the exciting trips with the Group of Seven to paint and explore the Canadian North. He particularly liked the rugged islands and trees of Georgian Bay, a place he very often painted and was so fond of.
     Lismer divided his time between painting and teaching at an art school in Halifax. He had devoted his life to painting the Canadian landscape and went at it in a new way. Experimenting with Impressionism was his first step to searching for his own unique style.


 FRANK CARMICHAEL DISCOVERS THE NORTH

    Frank Carmichael was the youngest member of the Group of Seven and was involved in other activities besides art. He had a passion for music and was an amateur musician who played the flute, bassoon, and cello. He was a brilliant craftsman and always tried to improve his skills as an artist.
     Carmichael was first employed at his father's carriage-making business, but was not satisfied. So he moved to Toronto and began classes at the Ontario College of Art. He then got a job at Grip and a few years later, following the members of the Group of Seven, took a job at Rous and Mann Printing House. Encouraged by Arthur Lismer and Fred Varley, in 1913 he went to Antwerp, Belgium where he studied at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts.
     After his return, he moved into the Studio Building where he shared a space with Thomson, a man that deeply influenced him. Carmichael soon began to join the Group of Seven on weekend sketching and exploring trips.
     The greatest contribution he made to art was in developing the neglected art of watercolor painting. Carmichael became a founding member and president of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor.


 TALKING WITH FREDRICK VARLEY

    "Which one of the six artists of the Group of Seven do you think you are most like, Mr. Varley?" the reporter asked Fredrick Varley, a member of the Group of Seven.
     "I have the same history as Arthur Lismer but I kind of have the same spirit as Tom Thomson. I was also born in Sheffield, England and attended the same art school as Lismer. My family was very supportive, especially since my father was a commercial illustrator. I then went to Antwerp, Belgium where I won several medals for drawing and painting. Then I lost track of Lismer and moved to Yorkshire. The next time I met him, he encouraged me to move to Canada so I could support my family by working at an art firm."
     The reporter finished writing and asked, "How were you like Thomson in spirit?"
     "Well," Mr. Varley paused, "each one of us had a bit of the other in each other. After World War I, I soon began to get interested in painting the Canadian landscape. I think during that time I had matured as an artist and individual, for before that I had a strong passion for painting people, not trees."
     "What were you most concerned about when painting?"
     "I had a strong concern to express my feelings through the portraits and landscapes that I painted. It was not because I was shy and didn't want to talk to others about my emotions - I think I was a hard person to work with. But I found a friend in Tom Thomson and we often went exploring together, although I rarely sketched on those trips, as I still preferred portraits at the time. I think that's why I was more like Thomson in spirit."
     "Thank you, Mr. Varley."


 MEET J. E. H. MACDONALD

    J. E. H. MacDonald showed an ambition towards art from a young age. He became a major force and inspiration for the Group of Seven, respected by other artists as a practical man. He was very quiet and had the dreamy air as that of a poet and philosopher. Considered the father of the Group of Seven, MacDonald was loved by all.
     He did not spend much time where he was born, England, for at age 14, he moved to Hamilton, Canada to study at the Hamilton Art School. He then became involved as a commercial artist working at the Toronto Lithography Company and Grip. After taking two years off to work as a book designer,
     MacDonald returned to Grip and became head designer. Persuaded by Lawren Harris to quit his job and paint, he moved to Thornhill, Ontario where he could paint the peaceful countryside full time.
     MacDonald and Thomson were very dependent on each other and they both had tremendous Impact on each other's work. Painting the harsh north was something that appealed to them both. After Thomson's death in 1917, MacDonald suffered a physical collapse but was soon well enough to travel to Algoma with Harris and Johnston. After some time, MacDonald seemed to regain his strength and entered his most productive phase there. Many people soon began to call Algoma MacDonald's country.
     Living until age 59, he spent his last ten years teaching at the Ontario College of Art. He continued painting but his work lacked the original feeling it had before. Yet he continued to be a driving force of the Group of Seven.


 A. Y. JACKSON MEETS THE GROUP

    "I understand that you were forced to find work at a very young age. Is that true, Mr. Jackson?" the reporter sat down beside A. Y. Jackson, a member of the Group of Seven.
     "Yes. My father abandoned us, my mother and six kids, so I was forced to find work at a young age to support her."
     "But by doing that you had a chance to better develop your skills as an artist, did you not?"
     Mr. Jackson took a moment to think before speaking. "I probably have the same amount of training as the rest of the Group of Seven, even if I did work at a young age. I first was employed as an office boy for a lithography company then I went to Chicago after a trip to Europe to work at an art firm. Then, at age 25, after my trip to France to study Impressionism, I decided that I wanted to become a professional painter."
     "How did you get involved with the Group of Seven?" asked the reporter.
     "I had just returned to Canada when I considered moving to the United States because I was discouraged by my art situation here. Before moving I received a letter from a Toronto-based artist who had seen one of my paintings, The Edge of Maple Wood. He wanted to know if I still owned it because if I did, Lawren Harris wished to purchase it. This created a link between me and Toronto and I continued the correspondence. That's how my association with the artists responsible for changing the course of Canadian art began."
     "What was your main concern in art?"
     "I wanted to be direct in my paintings and in person, as well. I wanted to reveal Canada to the Canadians."
     "Thank you, Mr. Jackson."


 THE LIFE OF LAWREN HARRIS

    Lawren Harris was the wealthiest member of the Group of Seven and often tried to help with some money, but always went about it in a nice way.
     He was born in Brantford, Ontario where he went on to have a good education. After attending private school as a child, he went to study at the University of Toronto, later travelling to Europe at age 19. He stayed there for three years to study German art and after his return to Canada in 1908, he became a founding member of the Arts & Letters Club.
     Harris participated enthusiastically in all of the Group of Seven activities, especially since he started some of them. In 1921, he bought a boxcar from the Algoma Central Railway and invited his artist friends to travel with him, thus starting the Algoma trips. He soon after became famous for the pictures he painted of Lake Superior.
     Harris' main goal was to incorporate his spiritual feelings into his paintings of the Canadian northland. He remained a driving force of the Group of Seven and a devoted organizer, often recognized as the leader of the group. Indeed he was and stayed that way until the Group of Seven's parting.


 FRANK JOHNSTON DISCOVERS ART

    "How did you meet the Group of Seven, Mr. Johnston?" Frank Johnston was sitting across from his interviewer thinking.
     "I met the future members of the Group of Seven when I was working at Grip in 1908 then later at Rous and Mann Printing House. I then met them again, after my trip to the United States to study art, when I became a member of the Arts & Letters Club. They invited me on their Algoma trips and I contributed some paintings to their shows. And that's when I became a part of the Group."
     "Your membership with them was very brief. Why did you decide to quit?"
     "I had been slowly moving away from them but I had no disagreement with their art. I just wanted to go my own way with exhibitions. After my resignation, I became more concerned with decorative effects and put on a one-man show with 200 of my paintings."
     "Wow!" said the reporter, obviously impressed. "Thank you for your time."


 A QUIZ ABOUT THE GROUP
  1. When was the Group of Seven formed?
  2. This artist inspired the Group of Seven to paint and unite.
  3. He started the Algoma trips by buying a boxcar to transport the artists.
  4. Who had a physical collapse after Tom Thomson's death?
  5. Who was the youngest member of the Group of Seven?
  6. This member put on a one-man show with 200 of his paintings.
  7. Who met the Group of Seven by selling one of his paintings to them?
  8. This artist was interested in painting people rather than trees, although he later became interested in both.
  9. Who was the 'master of caricature' in the Group of Seven?
  10. Who was the member that left the Group of Seven before they parted?
  11. What was Frank Carmichael's greatest contribution to the world of art?
  12. He often helped the others with some money but in a nice way.
  13. He died, an expert canoeist, during one of his trips to Algonquin Park.
  14. Who was forced to find work at a young age to support his family?
  15. What did the other artists paint that the Group of Seven did not want to?
  16. Algoma was often called this, named after one of the artists.
  17. Who was undecided on his career and tried several jobs during the teenage years of his life?
  18. He left the Sheffield School of Art because he wasn't happy there.
  19. Who liked to express his feelings and thoughts through his art but not because he was shy?
  20. What nickname did the Group of Seven have for themselves?

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ

  1. 1920 (while planning for an exhibition)
  2. Tom Thomson
  3. Lawren Harris
  4. J. E. H. MacDonald
  5. Frank Carmichael
  6. Frank Johnston
  7. A. Y. Jackson
  8. Fredrick Varley
  9. Arthur Lismer
  10. Frank Johnston
  11. Founder of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor
  12. Lawren Harris
  13. Tom Thomson
  14. A. Y. Jackson
  15. Scenes from Europe
  16. MacDonald's country
  17. Tom Thomson
  18. Arthur Lismer
  19. Fredrick Varley
  20. "adventurers in paint"


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