The Best of the Group of Seven

Book excerpt: A stunning, full-colour collection of the brilliant paintings that revolutionized Canadian art. In the early twentieth century a group of young artists strived to create, in Lawren Harris’s words, paintings that would “embody the moods and character and spirit of the country.” The fifty-four breathtaking colour plates in this book confirm their success. Well-loved landscapes, like Tom Thomson’s Jack Pine, appear beside some unexpected treasures like Edwin Holgate’s Nude in a Landscape. The essays by Joan Murray and Harris give historical context to the Group of Seven, and fascinating captions provide biographical notes and insightful critiques of each member’s style. No Canadian library is complete without this beautiful volume.