Group of Seven, a Canadian institution

The Group of Seven were a group of friends with similar tastes and ideas about art. The members are amongst the best-known of Canadian artists and there is no mistaking one of their paintings when you come across it. All the artists met while they were working for the design company Grip Ltd. in 1913. The group had their first exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto in 1920.

The Group of Seven was more of an artistic movement than just a group of artists, at times they numbered nine artists. They took a stand against the established Canadian art promoted by the Royal Canadian Academy. They painted mostly landscapes and were all inspired by Georgian Bay and the Algonquin. The Group of Seven eventually disbanded in 1931.

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario has the largest number of Tom Thomson and Group of Seven paintings in Canada and 6 of the group are buried on the grounds.

Tom Thomson died before The Group of Seven was formed but was close to all the artists and also worked at Grip Inc. He was born on August 5^th, 1877 and died on July 8^th, 1917. The events surrounding his deaths were suspicious and his exact cause of death, other than a blow to the head which was believed to have been post-mortem, is unknown. Even though he was not an official member of the Group of Seven, he is the best-known of the group.

J.E.H. McDonald was born on May 12^th, 1873 and died on November 26^th, 1932.

Arthur Lismer was born on June 27, 1885 and died on March 23^rd, 1969.

A.J. Casson was not an original member of the group, he replaced Frank Johnston in 1921. Casson was born on May 17^th, 1898 and died on February 20^th, 1992.

Frank Johnston was born on June 19^th, 1882 and died on July 19^th, 1949.

Fred Varley was born on Jan 2^nd and died on September 8^th, 1969.

Franklin Carmichael was born on May 4^th, 1890 and died on October 24^th, 1945.

A.Y. Jackson was born on October 3^rd, 1882 and died on April 5^th, 1974. Two schools in Ontario are named after him.

Lawren Harris was born on October 23^rd, 1885 and died on January 29^th, 1970. Harris, who came from a wealthy family, funded many of the Group of Seven painting trips.