Boat Ride by Berthe Des Clayes is a 13.3 x 13.3 inch square pastel on paper that is protected by museum glass and signed in the bottom left corner by the artist. The piece depicts a simple sailboat carrying two passengers as they float upon a peaceful mountain lake. Des Clayes uses a muted palette to convey a somber mood in this artwork. The large sail of the boat dominates the composition but it’s the vibrant red in the shirt of one of the figures that adds a dramatic focal point to the piece. Boat Ride exudes a quiet calmness as its subjects drift off into the distance with nothing but the open air beyond them.

Des Clayes was an impressionist painter known for her skill in oil, pastel, watercolour and chalk. She had a passion for producing evocative landscapes of Canada which is evident in her work.