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Listed Canadian Artist: Montréal Artist and Architect, 1881-1955
Sight Size: W: 5 in. x H. 4 in. watercolour
Frame Size: W. 9.5 in. x H. 8.5 in.
Signed and Dated: Recto lower right W. Mitchell, dated Verso 1953.
Titled Verso: ‘Percé Beach, and 'The Three Sisters', P.Q. Canada’
Subject Matter: A rare self portrait of Willard while painting on the beach at Percé.
Encased within: One of Willard’s uniquely hand carved gold painted frames.
New Double Mats: Newly matted with glass silicone-set and all acid-free content throughout.
Condition: Absolutely pristine with its original bright colours with no fading or flaws.
Comment: A very special larger watercolur with a direct lineage provenance to Willard's wife, Mrs. Ethel Mitchell.
Click here to see its mate...
A Note of Particular Interest: This rare self-portrait watercolour of Willard Mitchell painting on Percé beach with the 'Three Sisters' in the background, which has been tucked away since it was new without ever seeing the ‘light of day', has a very interesting history. It comes directly from the collection of a gentleman in Québec who inherited this painting from his mother after her passing; she was given this and another painting from her friend, a lady known as Mrs. Ethel Mitchell.
The interesting part is that, this gentleman, when he was just a young lad, lived along with his parents in a two storey apartment house in Montréal, that had as an upstairs neighbour, a couple that the lad knew as Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell. As it turns out, it was the artist and architect, Willard Morse Mitchell and his wife Ethel who were the couple living upstairs. A ‘miniature world’, isn't it...
This charming watercolour painted in 1953, that was originally given as a gift from Ethel Mitchell to her friend, could very well be among some of the last few paintings that Willard created before his passing in 1955. Tap or click above, Click here to see its mate... for the other watercolour.
Willard Morse Mitchell, 20th Century Canadian Miniaturist
Willard Morse Mitchell was born in 1879 in St. John, New Brunswick. He had a studio in Amherst, Nova Scotia where, at the same time, he was also the town architect. Prior to establishing himself in Montréal, Willard lived in Ontario for a brief time in 1921. After his move to Québec, he became active in Montréal as an architect and artist.
Willard is particularly well known for his miniature watercolour landscapes of rural Québec and his streetscapes of Montréal settings. He alone carved all of his own frames and placed a brief note on the backs of the framed scenes. His miniature watercolours were artistically well done and were also quite popular as small gifts during the time he was producing them from around 1919 to 1954.
Over that period of time Willard was lucky to have been able to sell his little gem waterclours through his main proponent, the Canada Steamship Lines. They offered Willard's miniature watercolour paintings on their steamship lines gift shops that sailed the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence seaway and also through the gift shops in their Canada Steamship Lines glamourous hotels. The tourists loved them as a souvenir from their visit to Canada.
Besides painting in Québec he also painted small scenes in Ontario, Nova Scotia and places out east. Willard and his wife loved to travel and while abroad he painted some notable scenes in places like Italy, Britain, Morocco and Greece. The foreign scenes are especially uncommon, difficult to find and can tend to be expensive. He exhibited some of his artworks for a time with the AAM in Montréal in 1927 and 1928. Today, Williard’s miniature watercolours have now become very collectible in both Ontario, Québec and the East Coast provinces and other countries. Their value too, depending on the quality and condition of the scene, keeps increasing all the time.
It should be noted, that Willard Morse Mitchell was the most prolific 20th century Canadian creator of miniature watercolour paintings. From the early years, circa 1919, until near his passing in 1955, Willard was known to have created thousands of his little gem watercolours. Many of his works may have been repetative scenes, but he also produced a number of special 'one-off' settings and scenes that he always put a little extra time and energy into creating.
Willard passed away at the age of 76 on June 15, 1955 and he was known to have been still painting up until his passing.
Copyright 2023 © FineArtandAntiques.ca
Painting Ref No: 2TEE21PRI-S/TOEX
Willard Mitchell, Canada's 20th Century Master of the Miniature
Updated March 17, 2023 |
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