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Holgate is a key figure in the development of modern art in Canada, and likely the Group member with the broadest artistic interests. During his early career, Holgate studied with William Brymner and Maurice Cullen, and travelled extensively in Europe, in particular Paris, where he shared a studio in Concarneau with Robert Pilot.
In Canada, Holgate traveled with A. Y. Jackson on numerous sketching trips, beginning in 1923, as they shared a similar passion for the rural Quebec landscape. It was this long term association that led to Holgate becoming the eighth member of the Group of Seven, the first residing outside Ontario.
The well-respected Holgate was involved with many associations, both anglophone and francophone, and became a founding member of both the Beaver Hall Group and the Canadian Group of Painters. Holgate taught at his studio, at the Art Association of Montreal and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and impacted many Quebec artists through his instruction, including Jean Paul Lemieux and Paul-Emile Borduas.
In 1946, Holgate left Montreal for a quieter life in Morin Heights, a setting to perhaps match his private and reserved temperament. Here, Holgate would spend most of his remaining life, enjoying a renewed interest in landscape, inspired by the Laurentian countryside.
