On May 7, 1920, the Group of Seven held their first art exhibition at the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario). Although they disbanded by the end of the decade, they have had a lasting impact on the development of Canadian Art for a century, and continue to attract collectors on an international scale.
This exhibition will display key works by the Group of Seven from the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art (FCCA) and provide a unique look at the mid to late twentieth-century collecting activities of the Firestone family in Ottawa. With a particular focus on A.Y. Jackson, A.J. Casson, and Arthur Lismer, work by the Group of Seven forms the largest representation in the FCCA, which now holds over 600 examples of their work. Large landscape paintings will hang alongside intimate sketches to reveal the breadth of techniques and subject matter explored by members of the Group throughout their careers, offering a distinctive lens on their artistic process and development. Work by artists working contemporaneously to the Group of Seven and collected by the Firestones will also be on display.
(RE)Collecting the Group of Seven: Celebrating 100 Years, installation view, Ottawa Art Gallery, 2020. Photo: Justin Wonnacott