artist studio stamp and titled on a gallery label on the reverse
6 × 5 in (15.2 × 12.7 cm)
Auction Estimate:$30,000 - $40,000
Sale date:December 6, 2023
Price Realized
$30,000
(including Buyer's Premium)
Provenance
Private Collection, Montreal
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, 1970
Collection of Mrs. François Dupré, March 1970
Heffel Fine Art, auction, Toronto, 24 November 2011, lot 130
Private Collection, Calgary
Literature
“The Gazette”, Montreal; “The Montreal Star”, March 1970 reproduced as an advertisement
Born in Montreal, James Wilson Morrice was one of Canada’s leading modernist painters. Though the artist studied law in Toronto and was called to the Ontario bar in 1889, Morrice was already working as a professional artist. In 1890, he moved to London to study painting and eventually settled in Paris in 1981 to study at the Académie Julian. It was in Paris that he was drawn into the Anglo-American artist circle that had formed around the American artist James McNeill Whistler. It was through these circles that he was introduced to painting locales across France.
The steamers in the background of “Boats in the Harbour” place the location of this work as Dieppe, avant-port. Another work in a Montreal Private Collection titled “Small French Port” depicts the same steamers with more extensive background included. Dieppe was popular with both tourists and artists from both Paris and London, located halfway between the two cities and the closest beach resort to Paris. Morrice was a frequent visitor to Dieppe who would sometimes stay for a fortnight on his journey to or from England, however he was also known to stay for longer periods.
Beginning in 1896, Morrice began to paint his pochades en plein air on these small wood panels. Sensitivity to atmosphere was a hallmark of James Wilson Morrice’s work, which is evident in this highly pigmented work that beautifully captures the light as it beats down on the harbour. Masterfully, Morrice creates harmony among the various elements of the sketch by echoing the salmon pink, ochre yellow and olive green throughout.
We extend our thanks to Lucie Dorais, Canadian art historian and author of J.W. Morrice (National Gallery of Canada, 1985) for researching this artwork.
