Group of Seven

Group of Seven. Group of 20th-century Canadian painters, based in Toronto, who found their main inspiration in the landscape of northern Ontario and created the first major national movement in Canadian art. The group was officially established in 1920, when it held its first exhibition in the Art Gallery of Toronto, the seven painters involved being Franklin Carmichael (1890–1945), Lawren Harris, A. Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston (1888–1949), Arthur Lismer (1885–1969), J. E. H. MacDonald (1873–1932), and Frederick Varley (1881–1969). Some members of the group had, however, been working together since 1913, and Tom Thomson, who was one of the early leaders, had died in 1917. Other artists joined after the 1920 exhibition. The members made group sketching expeditions and worked in an Expressionist style characterized by brilliant colour and bold brushwork. After initial critical abuse, they won public favour and Emily Carr was inspired by their example. The last group exhibition was held in 1931 and two years later the name was changed to the Canadian Group of Painters; thereafter the members worked more as individuals and developed separately.