The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson: An Introduction

by Anne Newlands

An introduction to the artists who symbolize the Canadian spirit. Canada's most renowned artists, the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson, celebrated the country's wild beauty. They saw in the untamed land a reflection of the national spirit, and called themselves "adventurers in paint." For decades, their work has been instantly familiar to Canadians. But in the early part of the 20th century, these artists were engaged in a struggle for acceptance, mocked by critics and the public alike. In The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson , author Anne Newlands explores the ambitions and visions of the artists, capturing the cultural and historical realities of their time and bringing to life their artistic response to the Canadian wilderness. The book is illustrated with 40 color works of landscapes, portraits and urban scenes, as well as black and white archival photographs. Readers are introduced to the artists as well as their locations -- turn-of-the-century Toronto, Ontario's wilderness, the Rocky Mountains and the Arctic. Writing with insight and enthusiasm, Anne Newlands offers an informative introduction to the lives, the work and the times of these important artists.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 18, 1995

About the author

Anne Newlands worked for twenty-seven years as an educator and researcher-writer at the National Gallery of Canada.

She is the author of numerous books including Canadian Paintings, Prints and Drawings, Canadian Art: From Its Beginnings to 2000, Clarence Gagnon: An Introduction to His Life and Art, Emily Carr: An Introduction to Her Life and Art, and The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson: An Introduction. Her latest book is about the Quebec textile artist Mariette Rousseau-Vermette (1926-2006).

Reviews

[shems]

good introduction to major canadian artists. straight forward and informative. rating is only because i don’t care much for the group of seven (yet.)

[Kari]

A good introduction to the Group of Seven, their history, and their works. I didn't know anything about the artists except for having a friend send me a picture of a piece of art. Anyone curious about the group would find this to be an informative read.

[Susan V.]

I randomly picked this up off the library shelf, and I'm so glad I did. I'd never heard of the Group of Seven before, but impressionist landscapes are my jam so this hit the spot.

If you're not into reading art books, but want background on this group of artists, the Stuff You Should Know podcast did a great episode on them that overlaps almost entirely with this book:
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-s...

A couple of quotes I loved...

About the tragic hero of the group, Tom Thomson: " Thompson worked from intuition and a feeling about nature, and it was the strength and simplicity that he brought to his paintings which impressed the other artists. 'Not knowing all of the conventions of beauty,' said Jackson about his friend, 'He found it all beautiful.'"

About the way the group began to approach their subjects: "The artists move beyond the simple appearance of nature, 'to paint the would of things,' as JEH MacDonald said, 'the inner feelings rather than the outward form.'"

This is the third or fourth art book this year that I have read front-to-back, rather than paging through and reading little excerpts. I think I will keep this trend up, as I've learned so much about the background, methods and contemporary history of each artist.

[Madame Jane]

A nice chronological overview of the Group of Seven's formation, friendship, and disbandment.

[Jennifer]

A nice summary of each member's contributions to the group.

[Sally Slade]

Really interesting and lots of colour plates of their work.

[Jan]

This was interesting, for a non fiction book, and informative. I've heard of the Canadian Group of Seven, but didn't really know much about them before this.

[Scruffy]

A great introduction, shall now be looking for more detail - and sending Helen to Stephens street near Bloor/Younge to see if the Studio Building is still there!