Lawren Harris was a great artist who painted landscape. He was also a founding member of The Group of Seven and The Group of Canadian Painters. He contributed 75% of the money used to build the Studio Building where The Group of Seven worked. The Group painted based on the “Canadian Style” which may not have been invented if it wasn’t for Lawren Harris. More importantly, The Group of Seven may have never been established if it wasn’t for the great painter Lawren Harris!
As a child, Lawren Harris was often sick, and had to stay in bed. In these circumstances, he would often occupy himself with drawings, paintings, and making gift cards for the family. This reminds me of when I was about 4-6 years old. When I was sick in bed, I would turn on the television and watch commercials. I could recite every commercial on television, and like him, I found a great way to pass the time.
Harris basically grew from that and studied in various Canadian universities. After attending study at Berlin, he came back to Canada from Germany; he worked as a magazine illustrator for about a year and a half. This was his first and only the only paid job because he came from a very wealthy family so he financial needs were obtained didn’t need to work much. Back then, he painted detailed portraits and scenes with a touch of post-impressionism as seen in The Corner Store.
Lawren Harris enlisted in the army in 1916, but after two years, his brother Howard died in action while inspecting an enemy trench and Harris suffered a nervous breakdown, because of this, he was discharged from the army. After being discharged, he travelled and painted for the rest of his life.
When Lawren Harris first started painting, Canada was still a rather new country and copied the European style of painting. Harris and some of his friends wanted to develop a Canadian new style of painting style. These men soon banded up together and thus, formed the Group of Seven. Harris wanted to build a place where the Group would be able to work, live and talk. So with this idea, he contributed 75% of the money needed to construct the building, Dr. McCallum contributed the rest.
Harris then financed boxcar trips around Canada in search of something that could always be recognized as “Canadian”. Beginning 1919, Lawren and his friends traveled to the Algoma region of Northern Ontario and went to Lake Superior North Shore with A. Y. Jackson, Harris was so passionate about the North Shore and fascinated by the theosophical concept of nature that he returned annually for the next seven years. It was there where he developed the style he was best known for. His paintings lost their details and became more abstract. With a use of solid and fading colours, he showed in his paintings, what he called “The spirit that propels nature”. His brushwork was smooth and flowing. His paintings are very simple but they capture the beauty of the scene very well. Once you look at one of his paintings, you would immediately know what it is that Harris was trying to paint as seen in Northern Lake. In his paintings, he tried to incorporate his spiritual feeling for the landscape into his work. After 1924, he no longer dated or signed his works because he did not want them to be tied to a specific artist or place.
By the late 1920’s, Harris was beginning to feel uncertainties about his work. He wanted to move on but didn’t know which direction he should go. So much of his paintings were based on a theme of the North. He yearned for change in his work and in his life too. Out of his feelings of confusion grew a long correspondence to Emily Carr. Harris met Carr for the first time in 1927. Even though he shared his thoughts with her, it did not ease his frustrations. As a result, in 1932, he did something which artists call stonewalling and regard as close to death; he stopped painting for a period of two years.
Then in 1934, Harris started to paint abstract. His painting style changed dramatically. Instead of painting meaningful landscapes, his paintings got very abstract and their meanings deepened as seen in Equations in Space.
Until his death in 1970 at the age of 84, he continued to paint abstractly. His brushstrokes became bolder, simpler, and more textured. He painted everyday in a steady pattern even, after major illness, he barely had the strength. He had self-discipline to carry him on. He called it “momentum”.
Lawren Harris’ paintings are an icon of the Group of Seven and an icon of a truly Canadian style painting. I can guarantee that you would be able to pick out one of Harris’ paintings from a whole bunch of other paintings that were painted in his time. His paintings had a tremendous impact on the development of a Canadian painting style. Lawren Harris’s paintings have a unique and distinct style that differs from styles other painters around the world has created. He showed the beautiful land that he saw in a very unique way. If it weren’t for Harris, there might have never been a Group of Seven and a Canadian painting style wouldn’t have been created. Lawren Harris achieved his goal of creating a Canadian painting style.
Personal Reflection
Lawren Harris was, in my opinion, an outstanding painter. He founded the Group of Seven and then became the first president of the successor of the Group of Seven, Canadian Group of Painters. Lawren Harris was a great leader and very independent. He was always motivated and look at things carefully first before doing them. I think he would be a very nice friend and could be depended on.
Without him, The Group of Seven might have never been established and all those painters who wanted a Canadian painting style might have never gained public attention. They would have more likely been put down by harsh art critics.
Even though Lawren Harris changed his painting style plenty of times, he still has created a style in which he will be remembered for. (e.g.: Northern Lake) This painting style is very unique and will always be recognized as Canadian.
Another reason that Harris was a great painter was because he changed his style from time to time. This shows that he was very brave and is always trying out new things while most other artist develops one painting style and stick with it. Lawren Harris changed his painting style two times in total and he mastered all of those three styles; post-impressionism, abstracted landscape, and abstract. This makes him truly a great artist of Canadian history.
