A. J. Casson
He captured the quiet villages and rolling hills of Ontario with a distinctive, muted palette, becoming the last living member of the Group of Seven.
1898–1992 (age 94)·Canadian painter in the Group of Seven·Birthday: May 17·The Lost Generation
Biography
A.J. Casson was a quiet force in Canadian art, stepping into the Group of Seven in 1926 as its youngest member. While his peers often ventured into the wild northern wilderness, Casson found his muse in the settled landscapes of southern Ontario—the white churches, mills, and farmhouses nestled in gentle hills. He developed a signature style using a restrained, harmonious palette of soft greens, greys, and ochres, bringing a sense of serene order to his compositions. His career stretched far beyond the Group's dissolution; he worked as a commercial designer, championed printmaking, and became a mentor to younger artists. Casson lived to see the group he joined become a national institution, his own work forever defining a certain pastoral, intimate vision of Canada.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
A. was born in 1898, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When A. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1898
A.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1898Born
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1903Started school
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Became a teenager
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could drive
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could vote
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Turned 21
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1928Turned 30
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1938Turned 40
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 50
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 60
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 70
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 80
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1992Died at 94
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
Key Achievements
- Joined the influential Group of Seven in 1926, invited by Franklin Carmichael to replace Frank Johnston.
- Developed a celebrated body of work focusing on the villages and rural landscapes of southern Ontario.
- Served as president of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts from 1948 to 1952.
- Was a founding member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour in 1925.
- His long life made him the last surviving original member of the Group of Seven.
Did You Know?
He worked for many years as a commercial artist and designer for the printing firm Sampson-Matthews.
Casson helped found the Canadian Group of Painters in 1933, which succeeded the Group of Seven.
He was known for painting on small, prepared wooden panels as well as canvas.
In 1970, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.
A municipal park in Mississauga, Ontario, is named in his honour.
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