PROVENANCE
W. Scott & Sons, Montreal
Private Collection, Toronto
Fine Canadian Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, November 14, 2002, lot 104
A.K. Prakash & Associates Inc., Toronto
Private Collection, Toronto

Born in Montreal in 1865, Jame Wilson Morrice initially studied law before pursuing art, training in Canada and later in Europe. He became part of Paris’s vibrant artistic community, where he absorbed the influences of the European avant-garde while maintaining his own distinct style. His choice to focus on quiet, contemplative moments rather than grand historical narratives aligns him with a modern sensibility that privileges atmosphere and emotion.

Drying Sheets on the Beach, Dieppe is a remarkable example of Morrice’s ability to distill a scene to its most essential elements. Painted circa 1906, this intimate oil on panel captures a fleeting yet evocative moment on the Normandy coast, where a woman tends to sheets drying in the wind against the backdrop of a stormy sky and turbulent turquoise waters. With his characteristic restraint, Morrice emphasizes the harmony of shapes over intricate detail. The woman’s bent figure and the diagonal sweep of the sheets across the sand guide the viewer’s eye through the scene, while the luminous whites of the linens contrast starkly with the brooding sky. In Drying Sheets on the Beach, Dieppe, Morrice conveys a depth of emotion and atmosphere that continues to resonate more than a century later.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars