The Group of Seven,
Tom Thomson and
their Contemporaries

Members of the Group of Seven at the Arts and Letters Club, Toronto.

In the early decades of the twentieth century, a group of artists came together with a shared vision—to capture the spirit and beauty of the Canadian landscape in a way that was entirely their own.

The Group of Seven—Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, Frederick Varley, Frank Johnston, Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer, and A.Y. Jackson, later joined by A.J. Casson, Edwin Holgate, and Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald—rejected European conventions to create a new visual language that reflected Canada’s rugged wilderness, expansive skies, and vibrant seasons.

Their work marked a turning point in Canadian art and national identity. Today, the members of the Group of Seven are celebrated as iconic artists whose paintings continue to embody a deep connection to nature and place.

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection was founded with a deep commitment to championing this legacy. Its grounds include the Artists’ Cemetery, where six Group members and their wives rest alongside Robert and Signe McMichael. This site remains a spiritual home for the Group and a testament to their enduring influence on Canadian culture.

The McMichael is also proud to hold in its permanent collection masterworks by contemporaries of the Group of Seven, including David Milne, Emily Carr, and Tom Thomson.

J.E.H. MacDonald (1873–1932), Forest Wilderness, 1921, oil on canvas, 122 x 152 cm, Gift of Colonel R.S. McLaughlin, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1968.7.1
Lawren S. Harris (1885–1970), Mt. Lefroy, 1930, oil on canvas, 133.5 x 153.5 cm, Purchase 1975, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1975.7 © Family of Lawren S. Harris
Dead Tree by F.H. Varley F.H. Varley (1881–1969), Dead Tree, Garibaldi Park, 1927, oil on wood panel adhered to plywood, 30.3 x 38.1 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.16.142
Oil painting of rocks with a windswept pine tree on top, surrounded by water. The sky is mostly blue with pink, purple and orange areas. Arthur Lismer (1885–1969), Evening Silhouette, c. 1926, oil on paperboard, 32.6 x 40.7 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.16.108
The Red Maple , A.Y. Jackson A.Y. Jackson (1882–1974), The Red Maple, 1914, oil on wood panel, 21.6 x 26.9 cm, Gift of Mr. S. Walter Stewart, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1968.8.18
Patterned Hillside by Frank Johnston Frank Johnston (1888–1949), Patterned Hillside, c. 1918, oil on board, 26.7 x 33.6 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1977.37.8
October Gold by Franklin Carmichael Franklin Carmichael (1890–1945), October Gold, 1922, oil on canvas, 119.5 x 98 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.16.1
oil painting of young plant in a pot on windowsill with view of trees in snow outside L.L. FitzGerald (1890–1956), The Little Plant, 1947, oil on canvas, 60.5 x 45.7 cm, Gift of Mr. R.A. Laidlaw, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1969.2.4
oil painting of a woman playing a cello with music stand on right Edwin Holgate (1892–1977), The Cellist, 1923, oil on canvas, 128 x 97.5 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1972.18.2
White Pine by A.J. Casson A.J. Casson (1898–1992), White Pine, c. 1957, oil on canvas, 76 x 101.3 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.16.119
Sunset by Tom Thomson Tom Thomson (1877–1917), Sunset, 1915, oil on board, 21.3 x 26.7 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.16.69
Strait of Juan de Fuca by Emily Carr Emily Carr (1871–1945), Strait of Juan de Fuca, c. 1936, oil on paper laid down on paperboard, 60.7 x 91.3 cm, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Max Stern, Dominion Gallery, Montreal, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1974.18.2
Passing Rain Elizabeth Wyn Wood (1903–1966), Passing Rain , 1928, plaster, 80.3 x 105.2 x 19.7 cm, Purchase 1991, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1991.13
oil painting of entrance door to a house in woods David Milne (1882–1953), Side Door, Clarke’s House, c. 1923, oil on canvas, 30.5 x 40.7 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1976.25.2
Anne Savage (1897–1971), Green Shores, Laurentians, c. 1935, oil on canvas, 76.5 x 102 cm, Bequest of the Annie D. Savage Estate, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1974.1
Marguerite Pilot of Deep River (Girl with Mulleins) by Yvonne McKague Housser Yvonne McKague Housser (1898–1996), Marguerite Pilot of Deep River (Girl with Mulleins), between 1936 and 1940, oil on canvas, 76.2 × 61 cm, Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.16.13
The Betrothal by Clarence Alphonse Gagnon Clarence Alphonse Gagnon (1881–1942), The Betrothal, 1928/1933, gouache over colour monotype on paper, sheet: 24.1 x 26.5 cm; image: 21.5 x 22.6 cm, Gift of Colonel R.S. McLaughlin, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1969.4.5
Portrait of Lois Gordon in A Russian Dress by Marian Scott Marian Scott (1906–1993), Portrait of Lois Gordon in A Russian Dress, 1935, oil on wood panel, 66 × 61 cm, Purchased with the generous support of Catherine Graham and Katherine Graham-Debost and the assistance of a Moveable Cultural Property grant accorded by the Department of Canadian Heritage under the terms of the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, 2024, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 2024.14