The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson - by David P Silcox (Hardcover)

About the Book

This compact edition is identical to Silcox's 2003 award winning bestseller. The book is a comprehensive study of the famous Canadian art movement, its time, 400 full color artworks are organized by region and theme, each group introduced by an essay.

Book Synopsis

A compact edition of an award-winning best-seller -- more affordable than the celebrated original, but otherwise identical.

At a critical time in Canada's history, the Group of Seven revolutionized the country's appreciation of itself by celebrating Canada as a wild and beautiful land. These paintings of the wilderness evoke the same response in viewers today as they did when first exhibited.

The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson includes many never -- before reproduced paintings and presents the most complete and extensive collection of these artists' works ever published. The 400 paintings and drawings reveal the remarkable genius of all 10 painters who at some point were part of the movement. Tom Thomson, who died before the Group was established, was always present in the public mind. Included are works by:

• Frank Carmichael
• Frank Johnston
• A.J. Casson
• Arthur Lismer
• Le Moine 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, with additional sections on the war years and still-life paintings. Introductory essays provide a context for a greater understanding and appreciation of Canada's most celebrated artists.

Review Quotes

[Silcox's] aim -- fully achieved -- is to cultivate "an appreciation of the role artists have in creating our identity."-- "Macleans" (12/8/2003 12:00:00 AM)

Included in Pictures and Music: A Top 10 List: "the ten most warmly reviewed books about the arts" in 2003.--Ray Olson "Booklist / RBB" (11/2/2003 12:00:00 AM)

[Silcox's] substantial and opulent new study clocks in at 448 pages, with 369 full color reproductions... he is also a tough-minded revisionist prepared to ask hard questions.--David Gordon Duke "Vancouver Sun" (10/27/2003 12:00:00 AM)

A beautiful informative book... This one is a keeper and it deserves pride of place on the reference shelf.-- "Canadian Art" (12/1/2003 12:00:00 AM)

A great introduction to the Group of Seven for the general public as the text is not overwhelming and so many of the artists' works are included.--Victorial Pennell "Resource Links" (1/1/2007 12:00:00 AM)

A hefty, 448-page blockbuster of pure Canadiana.--Peter Goddard "Toronto Star" (9/25/2003 12:00:00 AM)

A must for serious students of art and generalists alike.--John Arkelian "Artsforum" (6/1/2007 12:00:00 AM)

A visual feast... the paint quality leaps off the page.--Elissa Barnard "Halifax Chronicle-Herald" (11/23/2003 12:00:00 AM)

A Globe 100 Book 2003: Carefully researched... a crucial part of our visual heritage.--Alison Gilmor "Globe and Mail" (11/22/2003 12:00:00 AM)

All in all, the book is a pleasure to look at and a useful addition to the literature on a vital period in the development of Canadian culture.--Ian Thom "Vancouver Georgia Strait" (12/4/2003 12:00:00 AM)

All of this is evidence that the book can rightfully be described, as the publishers contend, the most comprehensive and extensive collection of the Group's work... The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson exposes the art of these great artists in a new and refreshing way, and will definitely prove of be an invaluable companion for students of art history, as well as art lovers and gallery goers.--Norm Goldman "BookPleasures.com" (9/1/2003 12:00:00 AM)

Already on bestseller lists, includes many works from private collections that have never before been reproduced.-- "Ottawa Citizen" (9/21/2003 12:00:00 AM)

David Silcox... and Firefly Books have served enthusiasts of the Seven's movement well.--Gary Michael "Bloomsbury Review" (5/1/2004 12:00:00 AM)

Good and compelling... beautiful and masterful... quality of reproductions is excellent and there are dozens of paintings shown here that have never been seen before by the reading public... this mighty tome, which has the best and most numerous reproductions of Thomson and Group paintings yet published, ... has reminded us that these artists created unique, vibrant talismans to our good fortune at being able to spin out our lives in this extraordinary land.--John Fraser "National Post" (9/6/2003 12:00:00 AM)

Good looking book... a carefully researched history... some of these paintings can knock you out with their sheer beauty and power... the works collected in this well-produced book, with their beauty and variety and stubborn flaws, are a crucial part of our visual heritage.--Alison Gillmor "Globe and Mail" (9/6/2003 12:00:00 AM)

Handsomely produced, the book's large format and excellent reproductions do justice to this most creatively innovative group of artists. A great addition to anyone's library.-- "Art Times" (10/1/2003 12:00:00 AM)

I commend Silcox for his discriminating taste. This is a volume of gorgeous paintings.--Robert Amos "Victoria Times-Colonist" (10/26/2003 12:00:00 AM)

Includes many rarely seen paintings as well as the signature paintings that dazzle our imagination. ... The paintings are set on a white matte paper that allows the richness of the color and texture of the brushstroke to come through. ... The historical information is concisely written, offering insight into the men who led the movement of Canadian art into new, daring, interpretive and abstract directions. This beautiful book will be appreciated whenever it is opened. It's a gift, in more ways than can be expressed.--Harriet Zaidman "Winnipeg Free Press" (12/3/2006 12:00:00 AM)

More than 400 stunning colour photographs make this as breathtaking as it is informative. By far the most complete and extensive collection of these artists' work ever published.--Judy Penz Sheluk "Antique and Collectibles Showcase" (8/1/2007 12:00:00 AM)

Silcox is one of the few Canadian art specialists to achieve that balance between visual description and real in depth understanding of the history he is addressing.--John K. Grande "Vie des arts" (9/1/2003 12:00:00 AM)

Silcox [is] a wonderfully lucid stylist... this definitive volume presents 400 supreme color reproductions... covering the entire spectrum of the proficient and prolific group's magnificent output... every painting is vibrantly, radiantly, and gloriously alive: a veritable hymn to life.--Donna Seaman "Booklist" (10/1/2003 12:00:00 AM)

The abundance of images, lovingly reproduced, is this book's great strength. Produced entirely in Canada, using a distinctively Canadian typeface and printed on 100-lb archival paper, the book's many images are so marvelously presented that it is possible to see on the wooden panels and canvases the Group's spontaneous talent at work and to trace their fluid brushwork and painterly gestures.--Peter O'Brien "Books in Canada" (12/1/2003 12:00:00 AM)

The best introduction to the Group available. With elegant ease, Silcox expertly recounts the Group's travels and artistic concerns, relating them to the times with a refined talent for synthesis. The 369 reproductions look even crisper than those in the original edition.--Victor Swoboda "Montreal Gazette" (12/2/2006 12:00:00 AM)

The quality of the color plates and of all other aspects of production is excellent... a valuable addition to any art lover's library.--Sherrill Grace "Canadian Literature" (10/1/2005 12:00:00 AM)

The quality of the reproductions is superb... Could there be a more beautiful collection of Group of Seven works around currently? Not likely.-- "The Beaver" (12/1/2003 12:00:00 AM)

These pictures are meant to be studied and analyzed, closely, carefully and attentively. They are meant to be reflected upon, even meditated upon... It's 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" (9/6/2003 12:00:00 AM)

This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in Canadian culture and history.--Shelley Boettcher "Calgary Herald" (11/29/2003 12:00:00 AM)

This is a remarkable book -- not just for its scholarship, which is of high quality, but for the sheer expanse of it all... an overview unique in this subject area.--Linda Turk "Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal" (9/28/2003 12:00:00 AM)

This is an important addition to the literature and an exciting opportunity for readers to discover the artists, indeed, the entire country for themselves. Highly recommended for all art libraries and academic collections.--Paula Frosch "Library Journal" (10/15/2003 12:00:00 AM)

This really big book is a pleasure of paint, brilliance and new work... exhaustive. Beautiful.--Jane Kansas "The Coast" (11/6/2003 12:00:00 AM)

Timely and beautiful... a thorough retrospective and comprehensive bibliography... Summing Up: Highly recommended.--N.M. Lambert "Choice" (3/1/2004 12:00:00 AM)

350 color plates... one third... you've never seen before: portraits, domestic scenes, garden scenes, and the prerequisite wilderness scenes, except with people in them.--Marilyn Smulders "Halifax Daily News" (12/4/2003 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

David P. Silcox, managing director of Sotheby's Canada, is an art historian, a cultural administrator and a senior fellow at Massey College. He is also widely recognized for his writings on the artists David Milne, Christopher Pratt and Jack Bush.