In the early 1920s, A.J. Casson apprenticed with Franklin Carmichael at a Toronto commercial design firm, later following him to Sampson-Matthews. Upon Carmichael’s invitation, Casson joined the Group of Seven in 1926. He was drawn to the quaint simplicity of Ontario townscapes, and his early work as a member of the Group reflects his design background and focuses on the communities and countryside not far from Toronto.

Suburbs in Winter is a fresh, clear-eyed image from the Group era, capturing the brilliance of a bright winter day with quiet drama. Sunlight strikes boldly across the landscape, the exaggerated contrast between the illuminated and shadowed sides of the suburban homes giving the composition a crisp, graphic vitality. Repeating telephone poles were a frequent design motif in Casson’s work during this era, notably appearing in two of his masterpiece canvases: Old Store at Salem (1931, in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario) and Thunderstorm (1933). While the poles assert human presence against the soft blue sky, their irregular slants lend an organic rhythm to the scene. They also suggest the continuation of the rolling suburban road into the distance—striated with melting snow in painterly shapes—and the viewer can imagine a laborious, bumpy journey along the slushy byway.

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