PROVENANCE
Continental Galleries of Fine Art, Montreal
Private Collection
Important Paintings, Drawings, Watercolours and Two Bronzes by Canadian Artists, Christie, Manson & Woods (Canada) Ltd., Montreal, April 27, 1972, lot 85
The Collection of Torben V. Kristiansen, Vancouver

LITERATURE
Nicole Cloutier, James Wilson Morrice, 1865 – 1924, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1985, page 75

James Wilson Morrice was as a pre-eminent figure within the Impressionist movement, in both Europe and Canada. Arriving in France around 1890, Morrice quickly established himself among the ranks of leading painters, his work admired for its luminous portrayal of rural landscapes and urban scenes. As he journeyed through the French countryside, his gaze frequently turned towards orchards, and he painted these with a poetic sensitivity, often in the spring and summer months in Normandy and Brittany.

Vista en Bretagne is a lively example of Morrice’s orchard compositions, marked by the complete absence of figures or buildings, which allows nature to command the scene. Thick grass and dense foliage dominate the foreground, creating a natural screen that frames a distant view of mountains and blue sky. Here, the artist transports the viewer to a warm summer day in the heart of the French countryside, where light and atmosphere combine to create a serene yet dynamic landscape. As Nicole Cloutier observed, “Morrice … sometimes employed rich vegetation in a similar manner to architecture, allowing it to dominate the entire composition.” In this painting, Morrice’s distinctive touch is evident in his ability to capture the ephemeral beauty of the natural world.

On verso is an unfinished sketch.

For the biography on Torben V. Kristiansen in PDF format, please click here.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars