Canadian Impressionist and International Modernist
James Wilson Morrice RCA (August 10, 1865 – January 23, 1924) was a pioneering Canadian landscape painter and modernist who gained international acclaim. Born in Montreal to a wealthy merchant family, he initially studied law at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall before abandoning his legal career to pursue art. In 1890, he moved to Paris, France, where he trained at the Académie Julian and studied under Henri Harpignies.
A Canadian Expatriate in the Heart of Modern Art
Morrice spent most of his life in Paris, immersing himself in its thriving art scene alongside painters and writers such as James McNeill Whistler, Charles Conder, Somerset Maugham, and Arnold Bennett. He exhibited regularly at the Salon d'Automne, where he became vice-president, and was the first Canadian to exhibit at the Venice Biennale. His paintings found their way into prestigious European collections long before Canadian institutions began to recognise his significance.
Influence and Artistic Evolution
Initially inspired by Whistler, Morrice's work evolved through contact with Post-Impressionists and Fauvist painters. His travels to Venice, Morocco, North Africa, and the Caribbean introduced him to vibrant colour palettes, leading to comparisons with Henri Matisse, whom he met in Tangier in 1912. His signature small oil sketches, known as pochades, captured fleeting moments of Parisian life, Quebec winters, and exotic sunlit landscapes.
Casino by the Sea by James William Morrice
War, Decline, and Legacy
World War I disrupted Morrice’s life. He briefly served as a Canadian war artist, producing an uncharacteristically sombre depiction of soldiers marching through the battlefield. His health declined due to alcoholism, and he sought warmer climates in Cuba, Trinidad, and Tunisia, where he died in 1924.
Posthumous Recognition
Though underappreciated in his homeland during his lifetime, Morrice is now celebrated as a pivotal figure in Canadian art. His paintings are housed in major collections, including the Musée d'Orsay, Tate Britain, National Gallery of Canada, and Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Henri Matisse once described him as “the artist with the delicate eye,” a testament to his unique ability to distill atmosphere and emotion in paint.
Rookleys Canadian Art is always interested in consigning works by James Wilson Morrice.