James Wilson Morrice

This quiet and intimate moment captured by James Wilson Morrice circa 1896 of an unidentified young woman seated among verdant foliage is a rare and early example of a nude by the artist.

Best known for his landscapes, Morrice’s interest in the human form developed only after his move to Europe around 1891, and while portraits in the broadest sense account for approximately ten percent of his output[1], only a small number of these are nudes.

Nude, ca. 1896, was painted at a time full of creativity and exploration for Morrice. Between 1892 and 1897 he studied at the Académie Julian in Paris, and in 1895 he befriended American artists Robert Henri and William Glackens, whose influence may be seen in the uncharacteristic daringness of the composition for the notoriously reserved Morrice.

A similar work, Girls Head Amid Leaves, ca. 1896, in the collection of the Montreal Museum of Fine Art (974.31), appears more quickly painted and the female form is not the focus – instead the model’s face peeks from behind the leaves. Only one other nude in a landscape by Morrice is known. Also dated ca. 1896, Nude in Landscape (Private Collection), shows the sitter in partial profile sitting on a red cushion or blanket, and like Nude, is facing away from the viewer. Donning a similar loose bun, the sitter could conceivably be the same model. With Nude, we feel as though we have stumbled upon a private contemplation, and by painting his model from the back view, Morrice’s painting maintains a reserved and modest sensuality.

The painting was incorrectly titled In Trinidad in the 1940s by the Continental Galleries. Morrice visited Trinidad only once in 1921.

Thank you to Lucie Dorais for contributing information that was included in the essay.

[1] Lucie Dorais, “Morrice and the Human Figure”, in Nicole Cloutier, James Wilson Morrice 1865‒1924, 62