James Wilson Morrice 1865 - 1924

Private Collection, Toronto

This work has been viewed under UV and it is in pristine condition. An inscription on the reverse has been inked over and is no longer legible.
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James Wilson Morrice was a bon-vivant who embodied the notion of the flâneur. He absorbed the creative energy of his period and was particularly interested in the Impressionists who painted outdoors and when he arrived in France in 1890, at the age of 25, he inserted himself in the English-speaking literary and artistic communities and pursued an art practice by recording his personal impressions on roughly 500 small panels.

This early sketch was probably painted between 1893 and 1895 near the community of Charenton, on the banks of the Marne River. As it was only four miles away from the centre of Paris, people would go here on a sunny Sunday afternoon for a refreshing outing in the clean air and to picnic or promenade along the river bank. Many Parisians would even bring their laundry to dry in the sun, as is documented in this work.

Morrice painted a canvas related to this image, Charenton, Washing Day, circa 1899, now in the Art Gallery of Hamilton. 

We extend special thanks to Lucie Dorais for her contribution to this entry. Ms. Dorais is currently compiling the catalogue raisonné for James Wilson Morrice.