Franklin Carmichael was a Canadian artist. He was the youngest original member of the
Group of SevenThe Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
.
Biography
The youngest of the Group of Seven, Franklin Carmichael was born in 1890. His father was a carriage maker. Carmichael arrived at
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
when he was 20 years old and entered the Ontario College of Art in
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where he studied with William Cruickshank and George Reid. In 1911, he began working as an apprentice at
Grip Ltd.Grip was the name of the Toronto, Ontario design firm that was home to many of Canada's premier designers and painters during the first half of the 20th century....
for $2.50 a week. He then joined
Tom ThomsonThomas John Thomson , also known as Tom Thomson, was an influential Canadian artist of the early 20th century. He directly influenced a group of Canadian painters that would come to be known as the Group of Seven, and though he died before they formally formed, he is sometimes incorrectly credited...
and other painters who were training to be serious artists. On weekends, Carmichael went on sketching trips with the other artists. In 1913, Carmichael went to
BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to study painting but came back to Ontario to rejoin with the rest of the artists. After returning to Canada because of World War I, he painted watercolours and oils of Northern Ontario landscapes. Carmichael was greatly influenced by
Tom ThomsonThomas John Thomson , also known as Tom Thomson, was an influential Canadian artist of the early 20th century. He directly influenced a group of Canadian painters that would come to be known as the Group of Seven, and though he died before they formally formed, he is sometimes incorrectly credited...
and shared space with him at the
Studio BuildingThe Studio Building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was the home and working studio of several of the famous Group of Seven painters, their predecessors, and their artistic descendants, and is of enormous significance in the history of Canadian art...
in 1914. Carmichael got married in 1915 and spent a lot of his time with his family. He was also on the fringe of the group because of his difference in age and was closely associated with the newer members of the Group of Seven.
Along with
A. J. CassonAlfred Joseph Casson, OC was a member of the Canadian group of painters known as the Group of Seven. He joined the group in 1926 at the invitation of Franklin Carmichael...
and F. H. Brigden, Carmichael founded the Ontario Society of Painters in Watercolour in 1925. He also founded the
Canadian Group of PaintersThe Canadian Group of Painters was a collective of 28 painters from across Canada which came together as group in 1933. They succeeded the disbanded Group of Seven, whose paintings of the Canadian wilderness had been a strong influence on Canadian art....
in 1933. Several members of the Group of Seven later became members of the
Canadian Group of PaintersThe Canadian Group of Painters was a collective of 28 painters from across Canada which came together as group in 1933. They succeeded the disbanded Group of Seven, whose paintings of the Canadian wilderness had been a strong influence on Canadian art....
including
Lawren HarrisLawren Stewart Harris, CC was a Canadian painter. He was born in Brantford, Ontario and is best known as a member the Group of Seven who pioneered a distinctly Canadian painting style in the early twentieth century. A. Y. Jackson has been quoted as saying that Harris provided the stimulus for the...
,
A. J. CassonAlfred Joseph Casson, OC was a member of the Canadian group of painters known as the Group of Seven. He joined the group in 1926 at the invitation of Franklin Carmichael...
,
Arthur LismerArthur Lismer, CC was an English-born Canadian painter and member of the Group of Seven.-Early life:At age 13 he apprenticed at a photo-engraving company. He was awarded a scholarship, and used this time to take evening classes at the Sheffield School of Arts from 1898 until 1905...
,
A. Y. JacksonAlexander Young Jackson, was a Canadian painter and a founding member of the Group of Seven.- Early life and training :...
, and Franklin Carmichael.
He taught at the Ontario College of Art from 1932 to 1945.
Many of his paintings depict landscapes in
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He was famous for his watercolour painting and was influenced by other Group of Seven artists such as Ton thomson, Lawren Harris and others.