FAMOUS ARTIST BIRTHDAY - TOM THOMPSON

RED TREES
by Sea Dean
after Tom Thomson
8" x 10" wrap canvas



Tom (Thomas John) Thomson (August 5, 1877 – July 8, 1917) Although he died before its official formation, Thomson had a direct and significant influence on the Group of Seven. In his essay "The Story of the Group of Seven", Lawren Harris wrote that Thomson was "a part of the movement before we pinned a label on it"; Thomson's paintings "The West Wind" and "The Jack Pine" are two of the group's most iconic pieces.

Emily Carr was also closely associated with the Group of Seven, but was not an official member because they didn't allow female members.

Believing that distinct Canadian art could be developed through direct contact with nature, The Group of Seven is most famous for plein air paintings inspired by the Canadian landscape. It was the first major national art movement in Canada. The Group was succeeded by the Canadian Group of Painters in the 1930s, which allowed female members.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Thomson

Tom Thomson died under mysterious circumstances, adding to his mystique. This has been covered extensively here. There are many interesting details on the rest of the site as well including some fabulous vintage photographs.

The Group of Seven — sometimes known as the Algonquin school — was a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920 to 1933, originally consisting of
Franklin Carmichael (1890–1945),
Lawren Harris (1885–1970),
A. Y. Jackson (1882–1972),
Frank Johnston (1888–1949),
Arthur Lismer (1885–1969),
J. E. H. MacDonald (1873–1932), and
Frederick Varley (1881–1969). Later,
A. J. Casson (1898–1992) was invited to join in 1926;
Edwin Holgate (1892–1977) became a member in 1930; and
LeMoine Fitzgerald (1890–1956) joined in 1932.