MORE TO THAT TREE THAN MEETS THE EYE: THE GROUP OF SEVEN, CANADIAN NATIONALISM, AND ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The Group of Seven are regarded as the forerunners of a national Canadian artistic identity. Focus of the Canadian landscape and their style of painting drew both national and international attention and is often regarded as an integral part of the emerging nationality Canada developed in the twentieth century. The question remains, however: is this veneration justified? What relationship exists between the construction of Canada and the landscapes depicted, and does the work of the Group of Seven really remonstrate the people who call that landscape home?