Emily Carr (Canadian, 1871-1945)

The Indian Church, 1929

Oil on canvas, 108.6 cm × 68.9 cm

Swirl, 1937

Oil on canvas, 27 x 22.75 in.

Emily Carr was a Canadian artist and writer known for her paintings of the landscapes and indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest coast of Canada. She was born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1871 and began her art studies in San Francisco before studying in London, England. She returned to Canada in 1912, and began to focus on painting the landscape and the Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest. She is considered one of Canada's most significant artists and her work was influential in the development of a distinct Canadian art style. She was a member of the "Group of Seven", an influential Canadian artists' group that focused on creating a national art identity. 

Emily Carr passed away on March 2, 1945. Her work is still widely appreciated and can be found in major museums and galleries across Canada.

A Canadian artist: Emily Carr

Study in Color and Form 1911

Overhead, 1933

Emily Carr (December 13, 1871 – March 2, 1945) was a Canadian artist and writer heavily inspired by the Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. One of the first painters in Canada to adopt a modernist and post-impressionist painting style, Carr did not receive widespread recognition for her work until later in her life. As she matured, the subject matter of her painting shifted from aboriginal themes to landscapes, and in particular, forest scenes. As a writer, Carr was one of the earliest chroniclers of life in British Columbia. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes her as a "Canadian icon".