Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945)
Franklin Carmichael, Mirror Lake, 1929, Oil on Canvas.
Franklin Carmichael, born May 4, 1890, in Orillia (Ontario) and died October 24, 1945, in Toronto, was a Canadian artist and the youngest original member of the Group of Seven. He was active in his roles as an industrial designer and teacher, whilst being an influential figure as a painter.
In 1911, during his studies at the Ontario College of Art, he did an apprenticeship with the Toronto commercial-art firm Grip Limited. There, he met several artists who later formed the Group of Seven. There came a time when he painted watercolours and oils of the northern Ontario landscape. Then, the great idea of founding the Group of Seven rose up in 1920, along with Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, and Frederick Varley.
Alongside, Franklin was the co-founder (1925) and then president (1932) of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour. But, he also was a teacher at the Ontario College of Art from 1932-1945 as Head of Graphic and Commercial Art. In 1933, he co-founded the Canadian Group of Painters with most of the members of the Group of Seven, and among them, they included Emily Carr, a close friend who had a huge influence on the Group of Seven.
Carmichael had several distinct characteristics in his paintings that set him apart from his fellow members:
He had a softer palette and was more decorative than the other members. His works often featured a more detailed, almost graphic quality. His use of line and form was precise, giving his landscapes a distinct clarity and structure.
He frequently used watercolors and gouache, unlike many of his contemporaries, who primarily worked in oil.
His works sometimes had an almost poster-like quality, reflecting his training and experience in the applied arts.
