Emily Carr Quotes
calm wordsEmily CarrEmily Carr (1871–1945) was a Canadian painter and writer known for her bold depictions of the Pacific Northwest’s Indigenous villages, forests, and coastal landscapes. She was one of the first artists in Canada to break from European styles and express a distinctly West Coast modernism rooted in nature and cultural observation.artistPersona Overview Emily Carr was a Canadian artist and writer who gained recognition for her powerful, nature driven art and her deep respect for Indigenous cultures along the Pacific Northwest coast. Initially dismissed by the Canadian art Tap to expand for details+Details-Close
Persona Overview
Emily Carr was a Canadian artist and writer who gained recognition for her powerful, nature-driven art and her deep respect for Indigenous cultures along the Pacific Northwest coast. Initially dismissed by the Canadian art establishment, she later became a central figure in the development of Canadian modernism, alongside the Group of Seven.
Core Values
• Reverence for nature: Her work reflects a profound spiritual connection to forests, mountains, and coastal landscapes.
• Cultural respect: She sought to preserve and understand Indigenous traditions, though her interpretations were shaped by her own time and limitations.
• Artistic independence: Carr often worked in solitude, driven by internal conviction rather than external trends.
• Spiritual seeking: Through painting and writing, she explored the divine within nature and self.
Style of Her Words
Her writing is often reflective, philosophical, and personal in tone. She uses rich natural imagery and spiritual metaphor, expressed in plain but emotive language. Much like her paintings, her prose aims to convey the inner essence of her subjects rather than their surface appearance.
Representative Episode
In the early 1910s, Carr undertook solo journeys into remote Indigenous villages in British Columbia, carrying her paints and canvases. One defining experience took place in the Haida village of Cumshewa, where she sketched monumental totem poles—some already fallen, others still standing in the forest. She camped alone and created field studies that would later become some of her most important works. Her commitment to authentic observation over studio tradition was unusual for a woman of her era.
Background of a Famous Quote
A well-known quote from Carr—“It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw”—came from her writings in the 1930s, a period of renewed creativity and introspection. Having returned to painting after illness and personal hardship, Carr began to write as another way of connecting with nature. The quote reflects her reverence for untamed wilderness and her belief in nature’s grandeur as a spiritual force.
Anecdote
After years of neglect by the mainstream art world, Carr’s breakthrough came in 1927 when she was invited to exhibit with the Group of Seven. This marked a turning point in her life. Her work was recognized as sharing their bold modernist vision while offering a uniquely West Coast perspective. The recognition elevated her from obscurity to national prominence and validated her lifelong artistic choices.
Mini Timeline
1871: Born in Victoria, British Columbia
Early 1910s: Solo painting expeditions to Indigenous villages
1927: Exhibited with the Group of Seven
1937: Published Klee Wyck, awarded the Governor General’s Award
1945: Died in Victoria, leaving a lasting legacy in Canadian art and literature