Canadian Historical Work: New Work Available

It’s hard to believe that paintings such as these were once regarded with scorn. Jackson himself recalled being thought of ‘as a rebel, a dangerous influence; that (he had) been told that (he) was on the verge of insanity and that (his) painting was nothing but meaningless daubs.’ However, the Group wanted to convert skeptics into believers. At their core, they knew the artistic salvation of Canada required art that was all-Canadian.

The Group of Seven believed that European subjects produced by Canadian academic artists, and even Canadian subjects produced by artists in a European style, were not fit for a young country that wanted to express its own identity. Other pioneers of this were artists such as J.W. Beatty and Sarah Robertson. After multiple trips to study abroad, Beatty recognized the need for Canadian artists to create a unique way of seeing that better represented their evolving country.