Sold for: $29,500

PROVENANCE
W. Scott & Sons, Montreal
Acquired from the above by Estelle Holland, 1929
A gift to the present Private Collection, Ontario, 1971

LITERATURE
Nicole Cloutier, James Wilson Morrice, 1865 – 1924, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1985, page 73
Charles C. Hill, Morrice: A Gift to the Nation: The G. Blair Laing Collection, National Gallery of Canada, 1992, a similar circa 1902 – 1905 oil entitled Harbour Entrance, in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada, reproduced page 98

This fine seaside scene by renowned Impressionist James Wilson Morrice is a favoured subject in his oeuvre. Nicole Cloutier wrote that “among the many themes he treated, those featuring water of one kind or another recur most frequently. His interest in the subject was boundless...Whether in beach scenes...or in seascapes...the omnipresence of water is striking.” The setting is likely a French seaside town—Morrice was attracted to picturesque jetties and boats, whether in Saint-Malo or other small towns, such as Cancale. This sky is particularly striking, studded with ivory and pale yellow clouds that, rendered with thick brush-strokes, give the impression of mass as they lie along the horizon, then break up into floating cloud islands. Strokes of the same paint used in the clouds pull the eye down to the beach and the single figure walking along it, evoking a soft, summery feeling. Morrice’s sensitivity to light and atmosphere is exquisite, and summer was particularly enchanting to his Impressionist sensibilities.

This painting is included in the catalogue raisonné on the artist’s work that is being compiled by Lucie Dorais.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars