Even the best-informed American art lovers will likely stumble when pressed to say more than a few sentences about Canadian art. Most scholars, dealers, and connoisseurs know something about the Group of Seven, an assortment of Ontario-based landscapists from the 1910s through the 1940s inspired by Tom Thomson (1877–1917), the best-known name in Canadian art. It’s safe to say the art of Canada’s indigenous peoples is a mystery. Considering our well-developed knowledge of Mexican art, it’s odd we know next to nothing about the art of our other neighbor. Canada, after all, is our biggest trading partner. Most of its 35 million people share our language, our dominant Anglo culture, and our basic economic structure. It’s next door! Simply because Canadians don’t shout about their art doesn’t mean we should know so little about how good their art can be.

A good starting point is the McMichael Canadian Art Collection near Toronto. It’s a revelation, with a scholarly mission, a beautiful forest setting, and the best holdings of Canadian art in the world. Its log-and-stone façade makes it look rustic but, inside, it’s a modern museum. Its founder, Robert McMichael (1921–2003) was, in his words, “obsessed with the desire to bring together a large collection of art with an unabashedly nationalistic flavor.” McMichael made his money in the 1950s and 1960s in the field of wedding photography. His collecting of the work of Thomson, Lawren Harris (1885–1970), their Group of Seven friends, and, later, indigenous artists was