Toronto-born artist Franklin Arbuckle was never in the Group of Seven but had many direct connections to its members. At the Ontario College of Art, where he earned scholarships and honours, he studied under J.E.H. MacDonald and Arthur Lismer, and during some summers he took classes at Franz Johnston’s Georgian Bay art school. He was married to Frances-Anne Johnston, the daughter of the Group of Seven founding member, Frank Johnston. By 1945 he was a full member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, for which he served as president from 1960 until 1964, and he taught painting at Ontario College of Art from 1958 until his retirement in 1989. During his career he created illustrations for more than 100 editions of MacLean’s magazine (at the time, Canada’s most highly circulated weekly publication), produced murals and tapestries, and exhibited his work across Canada in museums and galleries. His work is included in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).

“Western Hemlock” (1950) was one of two works Arbuckle made for Sampson-Matthews. Peering into an old-growth forest through a break in the dense coverage and far into the mountainous distance, this image reflects the mid-20th century view of Canada’s incredible wealth of natural resources.