Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald

Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald (1890-1956) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1890 and remained for most of his career there. Fitzgerald studied art in Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, and New York and in 1924 began teaching at the Winnipeg School of Art. In 1929 he was appointed Principal of the school.

Fitzgerald was the only western Canadian painter to become a member of the Group of Seven. Although geographically removed from the centre of activity as well as employing a very different approach to landscape painting, Fitzgerald was invited to become a member of the Group of Seven shortly before it disbanded in 1932 and subsequently became one of the founding members of its successor, the Canadian Group of Painters. Fitzgerald retained a strong loyalty to and creative dependence on his home region, however when his daughter moved to Bowen Island, B.C. he did spend time in British Columbia and was particularly interested in capturing the qualities of the mist and close up views of beach detritus. In later years Fitzgerald focused on abstract paintings mainly in ink, chalk, and watercolour. His work is in all major collections across the country.