A.J. Casson (1898-1992)

Born in Toronto in 1898, Alfred Joseph Casson is best known for being the youngest member of the Group of Seven and for his depictions of southern Ontario in his signature style, clear colours, background designs, and a limited palette. His approach was influenced by fellow Group of Seven artist, Lawren Harris: simplification and the elimination of all nonessential elements. Casson’s work in design also influenced his painting and his appreciation for streamlined design and pattern can be seen throughout his long artistic career.

Casson’s first exposure to art was at Hamilton Technical School at the age of 14. The following year, his father sent him to work at a lithography company and Casson. When Casson was 15, the family moved back to Toronto where, in addition to working, Casson continued his education by attending night classes at Central Technical School. In 1917, at age 19, Casson’s work was displayed in his first public exhibition at the Canadian National Exhibition.1 Perhaps these very pieces were among those displayed in this exhibit, though due to the circumstances under which the Gallery came to have these pieces, we cannot be sure. The story, which has become the stuff of legend at the Gallery, is as follows;

In June of 1979, the Gallery was a small red brick building on Victoria Street, where the police station stands today. A.J. Casson was visiting Lindsay and had the intention of donating these pieces to the Gallery. However, upon arriving, he found that the Gallery had locked its doors for lunch. Unbothered, Casson simply left the 3 pieces leaning up against the front door, unattended until staff returned to find that the Gallery was now in possession of three Casson originals.

These images are some of the earliest in what would become Casson’s lifetime of artwork, which has played a considerable role in shaping 20th-century Canadian art.

As a young man, Casson took a job as a design assistant to Group of Seven-member, Franklin Carmichael, who became a mentor, friend, and sketching companion. It was Carmichael who introduced Casson to other members of the Group, into which he was inaugurated in 1926. After the Group disbanded in 1933, both Casson and Carmichael continued to paint with vigor, unlike several other members. The pair travelled extensively throughout southern Ontario, visiting and painting villages and remote lakes along the way.2 Those familiar with Bobcaygeon may recognize two works of Casson’s, which are based on an artistic interpretation of buildings which still stand today, evidence that Casson spent time in the Kawarthas in 1934 and 1936.

We are fortunate to have this trio of sketches from Casson’s early years, as well as two other pieces in our care, which altogether show the progression of Casson’s style over the span of his seven decades of painting.

“A. J. Casson.” The Group of Seven, 28 Aug. 2019, thegroupofseven.ca/a-j-casson/.

2 “Alfred Joseph Casson.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, 22 May 2008, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/alfred-joseph-casson.