Tom Thomson and the Magnificent ‘Group of Seven’

Windswept trees, desolate lakes, frosty vistas and vibrant northern skies. In the early 20th century, many thought the Canadian landscape too harsh and too savage to merit painting. But a group of artists got together to challenge this idea – the magnificent seven of Canadian art.

One Canadian artist had paved the way for this ambitious collective – Tom Thomson. Thomson died young, just before the official formation of the group. His highly mysterious death while out canoeing – accidental, murder, or suicide – sealed his place as an iconic artist in the Canadian psyche.

Thomson and the group painted Canada in all its bleak beauty. They combined Arts and Crafts decoration, Fauvist colour, Expressionist energy and Pointillist brushwork to paint what they knew – Canadian nature. They sought out wild and remote landscapes untouched by man.

In just over a decade the group defined the iconic view of Canada. They established a national art that is finally becoming truly international.

This talk will explore the vibrant and iconic works of Tom Thomson and the ‘Group of Seven’.