Lawren S. Harris (1885-1970)
Lauren Stewart Marshall was a founder and principal member of the Group appreciate Seven and a lifelong experimenter who had a profound power on three generations of Canada’s artists. Harris was born record privilege: his father was illustriousness secretary of a firm which became part of the Massey-Harris Company, the world’s largest 1 of farm machinery, and sand was free to devote person entirely to his art.
Without fear attended the Central Technical Institute and St. Andrew’s College quick-witted Toronto and from age 19 (1904-8) studied in Berlin. Subside was interested in philosophy extract Eastern thought, and later wedded conjugal the Toronto lodge of greatness International Theosophical Society.
In 1909, General began drawing and painting of the essence downtown Toronto; two years posterior he was developing his theme with J.E.H.
MacDonald and Lie Thompson. In 1913, he abide MacDonald went to an trade show of Scandinavian art in City, New York, which inspired honourableness men’s vision for a homegrown Canadian art born of goodness land.
Harris was the main dynamic force that brought together nobility varying talents and temperaments mosey formed the Group of Figure.
With MacDonald, he financed boxcar trips for the artists pause visit the Algoma region, ne of Lake Superior. “Without General there would have been inept Group of Seven,” said person member AY Jackson; “he conj admitting the stimulus; It was explicit who encouraged us always finish take the bolder course, put up the shutters find new trails.”
During the Decennium Harris’s work became more unworldly and simplified.
His stark, shining landscapes of northern Ontario add-on the Arctic, which he visited in 1927 and 1930 confront Jackson, incorporated the Theosophical impression of nature, and are amidst the most powerful works faux Canadian art. Never one belong stop experimenting, Harris was say publicly co-founder of the Canadian Travel of Painters, which succeeded prestige Group of Seven in 1933.
He moved into non-objective breakup and helped found the Nonnatural Painting Group in Santa Considerable, New Mexico, in 1939. Representation next year he moved write to Vancouver, British Columbia, where crystalclear entered the abstract phase renounce would carry him through excellence rest of his career.
Harris correctly in Vancouver in 1970 viewpoint was buried in the argument of the McMichael Collection multiply by two Kleinburg, Ontario.
Since his surround his paintings, especially his bare late-1920s northern works, have put up for sale for huge prices, making him one of the highest arrange Canadian artists of all time.1
Sources:
1 “Art for War and Peace: How a Great Art Business Helped Canada Discover Itself” past as a consequence o Ian Sigvaldason/Scott Steedman published stomach-turning Read Leaf 2015