Ontario has a new Group of Seven day: Why these artists matter, even if you aren't sure who they are

Hamilton Spectator

19 hours ago

In May, not long after our newly elected prime minister fended off talk of Canada becoming the 51st state during his first face-to-face with U.S. President Donald Trump, there was an auction of all-Canadian art.
On the block, several canvases by members of the Group of Seven. In the auction house, a heightened sense of excitement.
'Elbows up' may be the familiar catchphrase, but, in that Toronto sales room, 'it was 'paddles up' and a lot of heightened patriotism towards our master Canadian artists,' says David Heffel, president of
Heffel Gallery Limited
.
The
auction pulled in $22 million, shattering records
for Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer and A.Y. Jackson. Lawren Harris's 'Northern Lake' went for $3.1 million.
It was a striking moment of recognition for the Group of Seven — one that landed just ahead of another milestone: the first official Group of Seven Day in Ontario. Amid
a calendar already filled with dates celebrating cultural heritage
, Vimy Ridge and even Nikola Tesla, the
province announced late last year that every July 7
will now honour the pioneering artists who helped shape Canada's visual identity — even as that legacy is not without complications.
'A day like this is tremendously important,' says Heffel, 'particularly at a time when Canada's sovereign status is being challenged.'
John Geoghegan, associate curator at the
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
— home to 2,000 Group works — echoes the sentiment, noting that the current political climate gives this day particular resonance. 'What the Group of Seven give us is an opportunity to see what's at risk.'
And that is the beauty and vastness and natural diversity of this country, from fall in Ontario and winter in Quebec to summer in Nunavut.
'They were among the first artists to come together and paint Canada in a distinct way that was different from just transplanting a European painting tradition onto a Canadian landscape,' says Geoghegan. 'They got people excited about Canadian culture really for the first time.'
But their debut wasn't fully embraced. Their first exhibition on May 7, 1920, at the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the AGO) was greeted with mixed reaction. Only five of 120 works sold, although an article in the Toronto Daily Star, headlined 'Seven Painters Show Some Excellent Work,' hinted at potential.
'Their work was actually quite radical,' says Renée van der Avoird, associate curator of Canadian Art at the
Art Gallery of Ontario
, which has 700 Group pieces. 'They were really rejecting the traditional academic style that was prominent in Toronto in those days. It was a very conservative art scene and they were working towards a much more expressive and experimental style.'
While the makeup of the group fluctuated over the years, the founding seven were Lawren Harris, Franklin Carmichael, A.Y. Jackson, Frank (Franz) Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, and F.H. Varley. A.J. Casson, Edwin Holgate and Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald were later members and Emily Carr an honorary one.
Tom Thomson, often mistakenly counted among the group, had a profound influence on the artists, but he died while on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park in 1917.
John Geoghegan, associate curator, McMichael Canadian Art Collection says the gallery's version of the Mona Lisa is Lawren Harris's Mount Lefroy. 'If we took that painting off the wall and put it in a vault, people would start to picket outside of the gallery because it is so beloved.'
A
series of prints featuring the Group of Seven's landscapes
propelled their work into a national spotlight. From the 1940s through to the 1970s, these prints hung in retail stores, libraries, banks, offices, hospitals and schools across the country — embedding the group's vision of Canada into the everyday lives of Canadians and influencing future artists like
Douglas Coupland
.
What drew people, says Geoghegan, is 'this understanding of a way to be in the landscape. It's something a lot of people crave, especially those who live in places like Toronto. There is a desire to maybe get away, and I think we can find a lot of inspiration in the work and maybe even solace, too.'
The group's images of wind-blown pines and choppy waters, snow-capped mountains and stormy skies can now be found on everything from calendars to tote bags. 'The works are not only awe-inspiring standing in the National Gallery or the AGO or the McMichael, but I also learn a lot from just seeing them on coffee mugs,' says Heffel, who owns both original Group of Seven paintings
and
Tom Thomson placemats.
In the last decade, the Group has been championed by the likes of actor
Steve Martin
and in major international exhibits
in England
and this year
in Switzerland
and
Buffalo.
But the group — composed of white Canadian- or British-born men — has increasingly come under critical scrutiny, along with the landscapes they made iconic. Their paintings, while now deeply tied to the image of Canada, often present an idealized wilderness.
Tom Thomson's The West Wind is seen at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Thomson had a profound influence on the Group of Seven.
A.Y. Jackson's 'In Jasper Park,' 1924.
'They chose to paint scenes that were devoid of human presence but there were, of course, Indigenous communities and industry, logging and mining,' says van der Avoird. 'So in a sense the image they portray of Canada is not accurate; it's more mythical.'
That vision doesn't always resonate with everyone today.
Although the Group is briefly mentioned in the
Ontario school curriculum
, their prominence in art education varies.
Matthew Varey, director of arts at Havergal College and
formerly at Etobicoke School of the Arts
, chooses not to focus on their contributions, opting instead to highlight living artists. The work 'is beautiful, it is appreciated … but I don't know if it has the currency that we really need these days,' he says, before acknowledging that the designated day, however, is 'a great starting point' to initiate a broader conversation about Canada and the arts.
The
AGO, which is normally closed Monday, will be open to mark the day
. The
McMichael gallery will be hosting events
on Sunday.