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A.J CASSON - Represented by Gallery 260
( Canada, 1898 - 1992 )
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Artist: A.J CASSON ( Canada, 1898 - 1992 ) -
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Main Category: Painting
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Biography: (1898 – 1992)
ALC RSA CGP G7 OSA RCA
Biography:
Best known for his representations of Canadian life through his paintings of farms, forests and landscapes in Southern Ontario, Alfred Joseph is one of the Group of Seven’s most notable artists.
Born in Toronto in 1898, his family moved to Hamilton when he was fourteen. It was here that most of his development as an artist started to take place. Young Casson took a job at a lithography company and soon began his art studies at the Central Technology School.
By the time he was 17, he had already exhibited his work at the Canadian National Exhibition. While working for commercial art firm Rous and Mann, Casson became the apprentice of Group of Seven member Franklin Carmichael, who encouraged him to paint and sketch in his own style. He also introduced him to the Arts and Letters Club, where Casson thrived as an artist and met the members of the Group of Seven.
He developed a deep interest in watercolours, so much so that he founded the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour with Franklin Carmichael and F.H. Brigden in 1925. However, some of his most impactful pieces are oils. It was this very work in oils that compelled Carmichael to invite Casson into the group after Frank Johnston’s departure in 1921. In 1926, he became an official member and soon after joined the Sampson Matthews firm, where he eventually became Vice-President. After the group disbanded in 1932, Casson co-founded the Canadian Group of Painters in 1933.
Casson continued to paint right up until his retirement in 1957. He died in 1992. He is buried on the grounds of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.
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