Tom Thomson Book of Postcards

In a few short years as a painter, Tom Thomson became the master at capturing the true spirit of the Canadian wilderness as he recorded his impressions of the changing patterns of light, color, and the seasons in Algonquin Park. He would not live to see the formation of the Group of Seven in 1920. Yet, despite his untimely death in 1917 at the age of 40, Thomson’s name became synonymous with the Group, who strove to portray the Canadian landscape in a painting style distinct from European tradition. Here are 30 of of the artist’s bold paintings.

Tom Thomson

Tom Thomson (Canadian, 1877–1917) loved the rough country of northern Ontario. An avid outdoorsman and backcountry guide, he had a brief but brilliant art career profoundly influenced by the Canadian landscape. After a slow beginning as an artist, he found his stride and created hundreds of sketches recording his impressions of the wilderness in small oils remarkable for their vivid color and bold brushwork. Many of Thomson’s paintings were executed in only a few hours but are nonetheless emblematic of Canadian art. Thomson would not live to see the birth of the Group of Seven, yet despite his untimely death in 1917, his name became synonymous with the Group, and together their works have come to symbolize a distinctly Canadian identity.