The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson

by David P. Silcox

"Silcox [is] a wonderfully lucid stylist . . . this definitive volume presents 400 supreme color reproductions . . . covering the entire spectrum of the proficient and prolific group's magnificent output . . . every painting is vibrantly, radiantly, and gloriously alive: a veritable hymn to life."
-- Booklist

At a critical time in Canada's history, the Group of Seven revolutionized the country's appreciation of itself by celebrating Canada as a wild and beautiful land. These paintings of the wilderness evoke the same response in viewers today as they did when first exhibited.

Now in paperback, The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson is even more affordable than the celebrated original hardcover edition. This award-winning bestseller includes many never-before reproduced paintings and presents the most complete and extensive collection of these artists' works ever published. The 400 paintings and drawings reveal the remarkable genius of all 10 painters who, at some point, were part of the movement. Tom Thomson, who died before the Group was established, was always present in the public mind.

Included are works by:

Frank Carmichael
Frank Johnston
A.J. Casson
Arthur Lismer
Le Moine FitzGerald
J.E.H. MacDonald
Lawren Harris
Tom Thomson
Edwin Holgate
F.H. Varley
A.Y. Jackson.

The artwork is organized by the various regions of Canada, with additional sections on the war years and still-life paintings. Introductory essays provide a context for a greater understanding and appreciation of Canada's most celebrated artists.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Canada, Biography, History, Reference

444 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Mary Ronan Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Canadian painters called The Group of Seven actually had eleven members. (Wilhelm says it has something about their being on the metric system up there.) However many of them there are, they were all brilliant and prolific painters whether they chose to paint portraits, gardens, the city, the wilderness, the plains, the Rockies, the far north, or anything else in Canada. They bring the country to life for me and they will for you when you see the 400 or so illustrations of their work in this book. . . .

To read the rest of my review, with illustrations of the paintings of these artists, go to my blog at:

http://maryslibrary.typepad.com/my_we...

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love getting lost in this book. It is a fascinating book with wonderful prints. An ideal coffee table book for those who enjoy the outdoors.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're an art and nature lover and a fan of the Group of Seven, this is a must read. Although more a coffee table book, it had substantive commentary on the artists.

[Sue Parman · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading about the Canadian artist Andrew Colville, I was eager to pick up this overview of the group of artists who, at the turn of the 20th century, were influential in defining Canada as a “northern nation.” (The book’s northern light, as in Lawren Harris’s “Isolation Peak c. 1930” [p.55] and other mountain peaks [pp. 364-365], left me chilled, as if I'd been sitting in snow.) After they disbanded in the 1930s, myths grew up around them: how they pioneered virgin territories and forged their own style independent of European conventions; how their paintings conveyed such an idea of wildness that politicians worried that immigrants might be discouraged. The book provides a window on an ongoing conversation about art and national identity, but most of all it is a marvelous (and, at four pounds, very weighty) collection of nicely produced art. Since I prefer portraits, I gravitated to E.H. Varley’s “Vera 1931” but also loved his “Open Window c. 1933” (pp. 64-65). Although the group called itself “the group of seven,” the actual number of people who exhibited under this umbrella varied, but one constant was the absence of women. Emily Carr, where are you?

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sought this title out, wanting to learn about the Group of Seven [knowing that Lawren Harris had inspired Emily Carr]. A hefty book, I savored this over the course of two winter months. And now I want to know even more about Lawren Harris. (!)

There is an abundance of eye candy within these pages, so I will simply list a few of the paintings which I most loved...

- House Tops in the Ward (1924) by A.J. Casson
- Sunflowers (1921) by F.H. Varley
- Winter Landscape with Pink House (1918) by Lawren Harris
- Mirror Lake (1929) by Frank Carmichael
- Autumn's Garland (1915-16) by Tom Thomson
- Autumn, Algoma (1920) by Lawren Harris
- Algoma Hill (1920) by Lawren Harris

Incidentally, I also completed a jigsaw puzzle of a painting by Emily Carr, "Kispiax Village", while reading this book. If you enjoy working puzzles, the Group of Seven is well represented in the Pomegranate brand offerings.

[Robert Walkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid introduction into the work of the Group of 7 (sometimes there were more than seven, occasionally there were fewer) and Tom Thomson, who died before he could become an official member. The book is hefty! But it's worth viewing and reading. The reproductions give a flavor of what each artist's work is like. The text gives a good picture of what the group was trying to achieve and also looks at each artist individually. A very nice book. I learned a lot about Canadian art and artists and even got a sense of the Canadian psyche. (Thanks Linda for recommending I look into Thomson's work.)
There is a chronology and a selected bibliography that add to the book's value.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the Group of Seven. I just wish that the author had addressed or at least pointed out that the group had the general view that they were painting "untouched and virginal lands," as that completely erases the presence of Indigenous peoples and contributes to the myth that Canadian settlers were settling on unclaimed land when they first arrived. Now I can't help but wonder about the connections between that viewpoint and the type of Canadian identity that the Group of Seven helped create and how much influence that viewpoint had on the identity created.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable overview of the “Group of Seven” Canadian art movement. Lots of beautiful full colour illustrations to punctuate the text. I appreciated how the author approached the structure of the book geographically, you could zoom into particular parts of Canada thru the eyes and works of multiple artists.

[Dafne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an incredible anthology. This book has been sitting on my shelf for years and I'd occasionally open it and look at pictures, but I had never actually read it. Until 2020, when I finally sat down and read it from cover to cover. It's informative and interesting and beautifully curated. Cannot recommend this enough for lovers of Canadian art!

[Jey Islander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the style of "group of seven" very much since first glance. as this book mentioned"it's boundary (the north)changed as time went by from not far away from lake simcoe to represent Strong and Free.
that's what i am feel for.

Amazing book for a Harris lover.

[Lino Matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and sometimes visually stunning romp into Canada's artistic and historical past.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great overview of this artistic movement in Canada.

[Madame Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing collection of work by the Canadian masters. Through their paintings, The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson defined Canada's identity by showing its untouched beauty from coast to coast.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fat book full of inspiring images.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful images with well written informative text.

[Eric Orchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential collection of vitally important Canadian art.

[Stephen Coates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not long after the death of artist Tom Thomson in 1917, a group of artists with whom he’d worked met and founded the Group of Seven, a group of artists who primarily painted the Canadian landscape which was then not in vogue and in their own styles instead of attempting to copy the then fashions or Europe. As an aside, Australians may be aware of a group of artists termed the Heidelberg School who did much the same in Australia – there’s a significant parallel between the two groups.

The works by the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson form the majority of the collection of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario which is my favourite art gallery, hence any collection of their works is of interest and this book does an excellent job of it, organised by painting subject and region with thorough commentary on the artists and reproductions of many of their works. It was a pleasure to read and remains a pleasure to pull off the bookshelf and leaf through from time to time.

[Redplaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted a book on the group of seven after seeing some of their work at the National Art Gallery in Ottawa. I wanted a book with information on the artists and their paintings and how they came to be with beautiful pictures of their works. This book couldn't be more perfect! 441 glossy pages of beautiful art work and stories.

I thought I would just use it as a reference but I am enjoying just reading it. Unfortunately it is too big to carry around but I wouldn't want the art work to be any smaller. For a book of art it is on the smaller size but I'm not complaining. The art work is so beautifully presented in full colour. I love that the pictures and the text are presented on separate pages and that they aren't mashed in together. It just makes for a clean, pretty presentation.

When I picked it up and thumbed through it I fell for it right away and thought I was in trouble, expecting it to be around $100. It is only $49.95 CDN. It's mine! All mine.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book in the national art gallery of Canada after being thrilled by Lawren Harris' work in the standing exhibit. I can't believe I had to travel to Canada to learn about these Canadian artists. Harris' work rivals that of O'Keefe and the book is a great compendium of the Group of Seven's work. It's almost all plates and very little text, which is what an art book should be. One of the best art books I've ever found

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book with good information about this group of artists and their work. More importantly, it contains many examples of their art, which I flip through regularly when particularly sad, happy, distressed, joyed, or even neutral - the paintings are worth seeing no matter the mood that I am in.

[Laurie Customer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see a big difference today, with youth challenging authorial intent. I play big or drop out normally. So, to the youth of today: of "The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson" manual of workmanship, I speak highly for it.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is just a beautiful book with an interesting and informative narrative about the people behind the paintings.

[Edmund · Rating 5 out of 5]

New compact edition of a Canadian arts classic - great!!!

[Ivar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating account into Canadian history and self-perception. Well worth a read!

[Penny Van Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely love this book, so inspiring

[Jing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great selection of their works. Very knowledgeable and informative narrative.