If you’ve never experienced the work of The Group of Seven, let me tell you: it’s like walking into the wild soul of Canada itself. These artists weren’t just painting landscapes; they were celebrating them—capturing the raw, untamed beauty of the Canadian wilderness in a way that still makes your heart race. Their work is bold, dynamic, and unapologetically Canadian, bursting with energy and life. There’s a reason why their paintings still resonate today, even nearly a century after they first picked up their brushes and began to revolutionize the Canadian art scene.

In a way, The Group of Seven was about breaking free from the confines of what was considered “proper” art at the time. In the early 20th century, Canada was a young country, still finding its identity in the art world. The British-influenced academic styles were dominating, and most of the landscapes being painted were soft, romanticized versions of nature. But these seven artists—Tom Thomson (who was often associated with the group), Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, and Frederick Varley—wanted something different. They wanted to capture the essence of Canada’s wild terrain, in all its rough, elemental glory.

And let’s talk about the emotion in their work. When you look at a painting by the Group of Seven, there’s an overwhelming sense of freedom. Their landscapes seem to be about more than just capturing a scene—they’re about conveying an emotional connection to the land itself. It’s as if they were telling us, “This place isn’t just beautiful; it’s alive. It’s part of us.”

There’s also a sense of experimentation in their work. They weren’t afraid to push the boundaries of what art was supposed to look like. You see this in their use of color—blues and greens that are so vivid, they almost feel otherworldly. You see it in their brushstrokes, which are loose, expressive, and full of energy. And you see it in their compositions, which often seem to defy convention, breaking up the canvas with bold, sweeping lines or dramatic color contrasts.