Group of Seven Paintings

In the early decades of the twentieth century, circumstances brought together seven artists (Tom Thomson, Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, Arthur Lismer, Frederick Varley, Frank Johnston, Franklin Carmichael, A.Y. Jackson, A.J. Casson, Edwin Holgate, L.L. Fitzgerald), who were committed to exploring, through art, the unique character of the Canadian landscape. Collectively they agreed: Canada's rugged wilderness regions needed to be recorded in a distinctive painting style. This style would break from European tradition and reflect an increasingly nationalistic sentiment.

Today, these men are among Canada's most famous artists. For many, their works have come to symbolize what is the distinctly Canadian identity.