March Storm, Georgian Bay 1920

A.Y. Jackson painted March Storm, Georgian Bay with oil on canvas, capturing a moment of dramatic weather. Jackson was a member of the Group of Seven, a collective of Canadian landscape painters from the early twentieth century who sought to develop a distinct national identity through their art. This painting reflects the Group’s interest in capturing the raw, untamed beauty of the Canadian wilderness. However, these landscapes were not untouched; they existed on land that was, and continues to be, integral to Indigenous peoples. Jackson and his contemporaries often overlooked or erased the presence and history of Indigenous communities, contributing to a narrative of Canada as an empty, pristine land. The stark, almost monochromatic palette evokes the harshness of a late winter storm, a scene that elicits a sense of solitude and the sublime power of nature. Jackson's work invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between cultural identity, land, and representation.