Arthur Lismer was born in Sheffield, England. From 1899-1906 he attended the Sheffield School of Art.

His career in art took a huge step when he moved to Toronto to become the vice-principal of the Ontario College of Art and a member of the Group of Seven. In 1913, he met Thomson, and they both went to the north to camp out at Algonquin Park. Thomson's feeling for the north country helped Lismer understand the land better. In turn, Lismer travelled to Europe to help Thomson paint portraits in better detail. They both made a number of sketches, and during the period of 1913 Lismer was offered a job to teach art during summers in Ontario under the supervisor of G.A. Reid. Lismer loved teaching when he was not creating his own art. Lismer stated that art "is a way of life. It is not entertainment. It is a necessity."

Lismer's painting style was influenced by John Constable. Lismer soon developed his own styling using raw colour, heavy impasto, brush work, and simplified form. After 1930, many of his original works were done in the Maritimes and Georgian Bay. During the period between 1927-1938, he took a different approach and spent his time in art education as an educational supervisor at the Art Gallery of Toronto, which is now known as the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Sombre Hill, Algoma (1922)

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