Willard Morse Mitchell (1879–1955) was a Canadian artist and architect known for miniature watercolour landscapes of Quebec and Montreal. Victoria Bridge from St. Helen’s Island (1948) shows a wide stretch of river with the Victoria Bridge crossing the middle distance. The water is painted in layered blue tones that reflect the sky and give a sense of open space. The bridge is described with simple, steady lines, its supports repeating across the span without dominating the scene. In the foreground, a sloping riverbank with trees and low vegetation introduces warmer autumn colours. The sky remains light and open with thin cloud cover, and soft sunlight highlights the water and earth, giving a gentle sense of warmth to the scene.

Mitchell was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1879 and attended Rothesay Collegiate School. He trained in architecture through apprenticeships with Robert Charles John Dunn and the firm McKean & Dunn before opening his own architectural practice. He worked as the town architect in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and later moved to Montreal in 1927, at which point he focused full-time on watercolour painting. He became known for small watercolours often framed in hand-carved frames with printed paper labels on the reverse. From the late 1920s through the 1950s, these miniature watercolours were sold on Canada Steamship Lines steamships and in hotel gift shops along the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes, making them popular souvenirs. His artistic approach was shaped by daily observation of Quebec landscapes, urban sites, and landmarks.

Mitchell exhibited with the Art Association of Montreal (now the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts) in 1927 and 1928 and remained active in the Montreal and Quebec art community until his death in 1955. His works are held in public collections including the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John and the Cumberland County Museum and Archives in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and are found in private collections across Canada. Collectors value his miniatures for their precise depiction of Quebec rivers, Montreal streetscapes, bridges, and regional landmarks. This watercolour on paper is mounted in a hand-carved and gilded frame, measures 2.3 × 3.3 inches, and is signed bottom right.