Trees and Houses in Winter

Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on March 17, 1890. The summers he spent on his grandmother's farm in Snowflake, Manitoba during his youth fostered a deep connection to prairie landscapes that would influence his artistic vision throughout his life. FitzGerald left school at age 14 and worked in various clerical positions before pursuing art. His formal training included studies in Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, and at the Art Students League in New York, where he spent the winter of 1921-1922 studying with Boardman Robinson and Kenneth Hayes Miller.

FitzGerald began teaching at the Winnipeg School of Art in 1924 and was appointed Principal in 1929, a position he held until 1947. His artistic career developed methodically alongside his teaching responsibilities. In 1932, he became the last member invited to join the Group of Seven, replacing J.E.H. MacDonald who had died earlier that year. He was the only western Canadian member of the group and exhibited with them only once before they disbanded in 1933, after which he became a founding member of the Canadian Group of Painters.

FitzGerald's work reflected his immediate surroundings—prairie scenes, his neighbor's backyard, or simple still lifes like a potted plant. His methodical approach is exemplified in works like "Doc Snyder's House" (1931), which took him two winters to complete. His style evolved throughout his career, beginning with an impressionistic approach, moving to a precise, meticulous style in the 1920s and 30s, then shifting toward abstraction in his later years. Rather than seeking to capture the dramatic wilderness landscapes favored by other Group of Seven members, FitzGerald focused on creating harmonious, unified compositions where formal relationships between lines, colors, and shapes were paramount.

The University of Manitoba recognized FitzGerald's contributions with an honorary doctorate in 1952. He died of a heart attack in Winnipeg on August 5, 1956, at the age of 66. His ashes were scattered in a field in Snowflake, Manitoba. His works are held in major collections including the National Gallery of Canada, and in 2004, he was inducted into the Winnipeg Citizens Hall of Fame for his contributions to the arts.