Franklin Carmichael was a Canadian artist born on May 4, 1890, in Orillia, Ontario. He is best known for being the youngest original member of the Group of Seven, which was a collective of painters that sought to create a distinctive Canadian art through direct contact with nature. Carmichael began his artistic training at the Ontario College of Art under the tutelage of William Cruikshank and G.A. Reid. Later, he continued his studies at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Antwerp, Belgium.
Carmichael was primarily employed in commercial art, working for a Toronto firm, but he never ceased to paint the Canadian landscape in his free time. He was deeply influenced by his peers in the Group of Seven, especially by the works of Tom Thomson, and was inspired by the Ontario landscape. Carmichael's art was characterized by vibrant colors and a delicate touch, often depicting the northern Ontario landscape, rural Ontario, and later the La Cloche Mountain range in Killarney Park.
In addition to his painting, Carmichael was also a founding member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour in 1925 and the Ontario Society of Artists. He taught at the Ontario College of Art from 1932 until his death, influencing a new generation of artists.
Carmichael's work was vital in shaping the course of Canadian art in the early 20th century. His legacy endures through his contributions to the Group of Seven and his dedication to teaching and promoting the arts in Canada. Franklin Carmichael passed away on October 24, 1945, in Toronto, Ontario.
