The Group of Seven Book of Postcards

The Group of Seven shared a passion for Canada’s landscape and a strong desire to create a distinctive visual language. Their goal was to explore the country and paint it. As they traveled north, they found inspiration for the imagery that would imprint itself on the Canadian consciousness: depictions of the rugged, windswept forest panoramas of the Canadian Shield and the vast expanse of lakes and sky. Through their spectacular canvases and adventurous spirits, these celebrated artists have shaped Canadian art and identity. This book of postcards presents works by Tom Thomson, Lawren S. Harris, J. E. H. MacDonald, A. Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, Franklin Carmichael, F. H. Varley, and Frank Johnston. Their unique vision and iconic style continue to inspire and engage our collective imagination.

Arthur Lismer

A prolific artist with a wonderful sense of color and energy, Arthur Lismer (Canadian, b. England, 1885–1969) was a prominent member of the Group of Seven. He arrived in Canada in 1911 and joined legendary graphic design firm Grip Ltd., where the story of the Group often begins. There he met J. E. H. MacDonald, Franklin Carmichael, and Tom Thomson, and along with other Group members, they traveled and sketched across Canada. Georgian Bay imagery is at the core of Lismer’s subject matter. His experiences there and in Nova Scotia brought about an intense communion with nature in the late 1930s and 1940s, when his painting ideas emerged with new clarity and conviction. Lismer was also a great teacher. He pioneered art education programs in Toronto and Montreal in the 1920s and 1930s and made a significant impact in the development of Canadian art.