Meet the Group of Seven

Gr 3-6–A group of Canadian painters in the 1920s challenged conventional ideas and created a new type of art. The text does not explicitly make this observation, but these artists seem to have been influenced by the French Impressionists because many of them preferred to paint or sketch outdoors and chose nontraditional subjects for their works. The group had a shifting membership over the course of time, explored remote areas of the Canadian provinces, and captured these environments in evocative landscapes. All of the painters were white men, but three female artists are featured in the “Other Artists of the Time” section. This attractive and well-designed book combines biographical information, art history, and art appreciation. A wealth of images are used to explain specific techniques the group employed. The authors break down the information into small, easy-to-understand pieces. Each passage is accompanied by extensive image credits, but no sources are provided for the factual information beyond a listing of experts in the acknowledgments.