Mar 12, 2025

Winter trips with the Group of Seven

Explore the winter landscapes that the Group of Seven painted

Lawren S. Harris. Mountains in Snow: Rocky Mountain Paintings VII, c. 1929. Oil on canvas, Overall: 131.3 x 147.4 cm. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario. © Family of Lawren S. Harris. Photo: AGO. AGOID.103939

With spring just around the corner and winter weather (hopefully) in our rear view, we explore paintings by a group of artists celebrated for capturing the breadth of Canada’s four seasons.

Active from 1920 to 1933, the Group of Seven shared a vision to develop “a way of painting dictated by Canada itself,” recalled member Lawren Harris in 1948.

The artists drew inspiration while travelling and camping across the country, particularly to the far north. They chronicled the rugged landscapes as they saw them, complete with rocks, forests and bodies of water. The founding members of the Group of Seven were Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945), Lawren Harris (1885-1970), A.Y. Jackson (1882-1974), Franz (Frank) Johnston (1888-1949), Arthur Lismer (1885-1969), J.E.H. MacDonald (1873-1932) and F.H. Varley (1881-1969).

Harris painted abstract landscapes of the Canadian north and Arctic, such as Mountains in Snow: Rocky Mountain Paintings VII (1929) (image at top). He was born in Brantford, Ontario and was the unofficial leader of the group. His distinctly modern approach of stark and simple imagery, with an emphasis on light and colour, was also heavily influenced by his belief in theosophy. In 1969, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

a wilderness landscape of snow covered trees

Franklin Carmichael. Winter Woods, 1923. oil on paperboard, Overall: 25.4 x 30.4 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, 2017. Photo © AGO. 2017/226

Born in Orillia, Ontario, Carmichael was the youngest original member. He was primarily famous for his use of watercolours and depictions of Ontario countrysides. In addition to being a painter, he worked as a designer and illustrator for brochures, advertisements and books.

Jackson was born in Montreal and was a travelling artist, making trips to Europe throughout his art career. He was also instrumental in bringing artists from Montreal and Toronto together in the Group of Seven exhibitions. He was fascinated with Impressionism and explored the painterly effects of the movement through bold landscapes of the wilderness.

A clear winter landscape showing a snow covered slope with trees in the background

Arthur Lismer. A Clear Winter, 20th century. Oil on canvas, Overall: 91.4 x 76.2 cm. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, 2017. Photo © AGO. 2017/162

An educator and painter, Lismer was best known for his expressive brushwork and paintings of ships, forests and coastal scenes. His style was influenced by his experiences before arriving in Canada, drawing inspiration from the Barbizon School and post-Impressionist art movements.

J.E.H. MacDonald. Snow on Mt. Lefroy from Oesa Trail, c. 1929. oil on wood-pulp board, Overall: 21.5 x 26.6 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Photo © AGO. AGOID.103901

Born in Durham, England, MacDonald was born to an English mother and Canadian father. He painted rich, atmospheric landscapes, often of the Algoma district in northeast Ontario. He was a multifaceted artist, graphic designer, art teacher, poet and calligrapher.

Frederick Horsman Varley. Arctic, 1938-1939. oil canvas, mounted on multi-ply paperboard, Overall: 28.6 x 38.2 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Photo © AGO. 2004/31

Primarily a figure and portrait artist, Varley’s painted landscapes were infused with an emotional quality – influenced by his experience as a notable war artist and his spirituality. Born in Sheffield, England, he studied art in the U.K. before immigrating to Canada in 1912 on the advice of Lismer.

Franz Johnston. Lichen Covered Rocks, Bryce's Island, Lake of the Woods, 1918. Oil on wood-pulp board, Overall: 26.6 x 33.6 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. Purchase, 2004. Photo © AGO. 2004/27

And as we look forward to warmer months, here’s a landscape by Johnston depicting a lake in the woods on Bryce’s Island. Born in Toronto, Johnston was briefly associated with the group until 1921 when he left to pursue an independent career as an artist. Fascinated with the play of light and colour, his paintings often emphasized reflections and slowly became more realistic in style over time.

You can view all these landscape works in-person and more by the Group of Seven at the AGO on Level 2 as part of the Thomson Collection of Canadian Art.