1000 Museums

James Edward Hervey Mcdonald (1873-1932) was an English Canadian landscape painter at the turn of the 20th century and was known for founding the Group of Seven. Mcdonald grew up in Durham, England before moving with his family to Ontario, Canada in 1887. He got his artistic training first by studying at the Hamilton School of Art. He then trained at the Art Students League in Toronto, Canada. Mcdonald was a commercial designer before committing full-time in 1911 to being a landscape painter. He helped found ‘The Group of Seven” which was the first Canadian art movement. Some of the artists that were a part of the group were Franklin Carmichael and Arthur Lismer. Mcdonald’s style was known to be modern and resembles the works of the post-impressionists. He used bright, vibrant colors in the style of the artist Vincent Van Gogh. James Edward Hervey Mcdonald spent the latter half of his career traveling to the Canadian Rockies. He died in 1932 a year after he had suffered a stroke.