James Wilson Morrice

is considered Canada's foremost modernist artist. He was the first Canadian painter to be known internationally. In 1891, he moved to Paris, France, where he lived for most of his career with journeys to many different places such as, in France, Brittany, and Normandy, and elsewhere, Venice, North Africa, and the Caribbean, besides Quebec on his trips home. W. Somerset Maugham knew him and had one of his characters say, ...when you've seen his sketches...you can never see Paris in the same way again.
Clarence Gagnon, another admirer, said that the "suddenness of vision" in his paintings made them look as if "they flew out of a box of butterflies".
In Canada, James Morrice Street in New Bordeaux, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Montreal is named in his memory.

Share this page