The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson [Hardcover]

David P. Silcox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2003

Quite simply, the finest collection of the works of the Group of Seven ever published.

At a critical time in Canada's history, the Group of Seven revolutionized the nation's appreciation of art by celebrating the country as a wild and eminently beautiful land. Their paintings of the wilderness are unmistakable and evoke the same response in viewers today as they did when first exhibited 80 years ago.

The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson, which includes many never-before-reproduced paintings, presents the most complete and extensive collection of their works ever published. Containing 400 paintings and drawings, it reveals the talent and genius of all eleven painters who, at one time or another, were part of the movement:

• Frank Carmichael
• Frank Johnston
• A.J. Casson
• Arthur Lismer
• LeMoine FitzGerald
• J.E.H. MacDonald
• Lawren Harris
• Tom Thomson
• Edwin Holgate
• F.H. Varley
• A.Y. Jackson

The artwork is organized by the various regions of Canada and also includes sections on the war years and still life which demonstrate the versatility of the artists. Introductory essays explain the works and provide a context for greater understanding and appreciation.

(20031204)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The circle of gifted and zealous Canadian painters that dubbed itself the Group of Seven in Toronto in 1920 after working together a good dozen years would have been the Group of Eight if Tom Thomson, who, along with Lawren Harris, painted the most recognizable of the influential band's resplendent images, hadn't drowned in 1917. Art historian Silcox, a wonderfully lucid stylist, describes this pioneering group as "socially responsible, serious, fervent, egalitarian, and sensitive to the concerns of ordinary people," even though they failed to accept women artists as their equals, and expertly chronicles their mission to create an "all-Canadian art." Guided by the transcendentalists Emerson and Thoreau, they sought to capture the spirituality inherent in nature, and consequently painted astonishingly rich, dramatic, even exalted landscapes. This definitive volume presents 400 supreme color reproductions, many of works never published before, thus covering the entire spectrum of the proficient and prolific group's magnificent output, which includes moody industrial, urban, and war scenes as well as idealized visions of pristine wilderness. Although each artist has his distinct style, every painting is vibrantly, radiantly, and gloriously alive: a veritable hymn to life. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

[Covers] the entire spectrum of the proficient and prolific group's magnificent output... every painting is vibrantly, radiantly, and gloriously alive. (Donna Seaman Booklist 20031001)

The book can rightfully be described, as the publishers contend, the most comprehensive and extensive collection of the Group's work. (Norm Goldman BookPleasures.com 200309)

David Silcox... and Firefly Books have served enthusiasts of the Seven's movement well. (Gary Michael Bloomsbury Review 200405)

All in all, the book is a pleasure to look at and a useful addition to the literature. (Ian Thom Vancouver Georgia Strait 200312)

The abundance of images, lovingly reproduced, is this book's great strength. (Peter O'Brien Books in Canada 20031122)

A Globe 100 Book 2003: Carefully researched... a crucial part of our visual heritage. (Alison Gilmor Globe and Mail 200312)

Quality of the reproductions is superb... Could there be a more beautiful collection of Group of Seven works...? Not likely. (The Beaver 20031208)

[Silcox's] aim -- fully achieved -- is to cultivate 'an appreciation of the role artists have in creating our identity.' (Macleans 20031123)

A visual feast... the paint quality leaps off the page. (Elissa Barnard Halifax Chronicle-Herald 20031129)

This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in Canadian culture and history. (Shelley Boettcher Calgary Herald 200312)

A beautiful informative book... This one is a keeper and it deserves pride of place on the reference shelf. (Canadian Art 20031015)

This is an important addition to the literature and an exciting opportunity for readers to discover the artists... Highly recommended. (Paula Frosch Library Journal 20030906)

Good and compelling... beautiful and masterful... quality of reproductions is excellent... [a] mighty tome. (John Fraser National Post 20030927)

Good looking book... carefully researched history... some of these paintings can knock you out with their sheer beauty and power. (Alison Gillmor Globe and Mail 20030928)

A visual narrative of the history and development of an extraordinary group of painters whose works have become national icons. (Robert Reid Kitchener Waterloo Record 200310)

A hefty, 448-page blockbuster of pure Canadiana. (Peter Goddard Toronto Star 200309)

Already on bestseller lists, includes many works from private collections that have never before been reproduced. (Ottawa Citizen 20031027)

The prose floats on a breeze, the historical facts enlivened by judicious quotes and colorful details. (Victor Swoboda Montreal Gazette 20031026)

This is a remarkable book... an overview unique in this subject area. (Linda Turk Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal 20031102)

Handsomely produced, the book's large format and excellent reproductions do justice... A great addition to anyone's library. (Art Times 200403)

Silcox... achieve[s] that balance between visual description and real in depth understanding of the history he is addressing. (John K. Grande Vie des arts 20031204)

Substantial and opulent new study... [Silcox] is also a tough-minded revisionist prepared to ask hard questions. (David Gordon Duke Vancouver Sun 20031106)

I commend Silcox for his discriminating taste. This is a volume of gorgeous paintings. (Robert Amos Victoria Times-Colonist 200510)

Included in Pictures and Music: A Top 10 List: 'the ten most warmly reviewed books about the arts' in 2003. (Ray Olson Booklist / RBB )

Timely and beautiful... a thorough retrospective and comprehensive bibliography... Summing Up: Highly recommended. (N.M. Lambert Choice )

350 color plates... one third... you've never seen before: portraits, domestic scenes, garden scenes. (Marilyn Smulders Halifax Daily News )

This really big book is a pleasure of paint, brilliance and new work... exhaustive. Beautiful. (Jane Kansas The Coast )

The quality of the color plates and... production is excellent... a valuable addition to any art lover's library. (Sherrill Grace Canadian Literature )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books; 1st Ed. edition (September 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155297605X
• ISBN-13: 978-1552976050
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 10.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,932,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceeded expectations, January 20, 2005

By 

Brad Teare (Providence, Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson (Hardcover)

If you are looking for a different perspective on the art of landscape this is the perfect book. The painters in the Group of Seven are all individuals but have a similar feeling for design and grand compositions. This book has beautiful, large reproductions and it lets the paintings do the talking with over 400 finely reproduced color images. A little expensive but if you love powerfully composed, colorful landscapes, this book is for you.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning paintings, January 3, 2008

By 

Benjamin (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson (Hardcover)

With about fifty pages of well written and informative introduction about the group and their painting, this is essentially a catalogue of the artists' work. It concludes with a chronology and a general and artist specific bibliography, and a detailed list of the works included.

The paintings are reproduced sometimes two to a page and frequently one to a page and total nearly three hundred and seventy in full colour. The standard of reproduction is good and the colours rich and strong, often the quality of the brush work and texture of the paint is apparent. As a result we can truly appreciate the stunning beauty of the work and the rich variety to be found in the artists' painting.

This is a most enlightening book brimful of gorgeous paintings, if you are not familiar with this group's work, as I was not until I acquired this volume, it is bound to win you over.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Canada Remembered, November 24, 2003

By 

Stewart Widdess (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson (Hardcover)

David Silcox's beautiful blending of Canada's best-loved artists captures the magnificent richness of the northern landscape. I particularly like the way the paintings have been grouped thematically into portraits: wilderness, rural life, and the Canadian Arctic to name a few. The author's written commentary is clear and concise about what the Group of Artists was trying to accomplish without overpowering the visual impact of the work. It is a book that is incredibly satisfying to the eye. One you'll not set aside easily.