Willard Morse Mitchell, 20th Century Canadian Miniaturist

W. M. Mitchell Title


W. M. Mitchell Framed 1W. M. MitchellW. M. Mitchell Framed 1A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Seminary of the Suplicians"

Framed Size: 5.5" wide x 4.5" high - Painting Size 3.5" w. x 2.5" h.
SOLD

 

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Willard Mitchell Framed 2Willard Mitchell Framed 2A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Downhill Skiers"

Size: 3" x 4" - SOLD

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W. Mitchell Framed 3Willard Mitchell Framed 3A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Dutch Fishing Boats"

Size: 2½" x 3" - SOLD

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Willard Mitchell Framed 4Willard Mitchell Framed 4A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Old Fashioned Caleche"

Size: 2 ½" x 3" - SOLD

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W. M. Mitchell Framed 5Willard Mitchell Framed 5A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "On the Bay of Fundy"

Size: 3" x 4" - SOLD


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Willard Morse Mitchell Framed 6Willard Mitchell Framed 6A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Cape Eternity"

Size: 2½" x 3" - SOLD

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W. M. Mitchell Framed 7W. M. Mitchell Framed 7A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Fisherman on the Saguenay River"

Size: 3" x 2½" - SOLD

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Willard Mitchell Framed 8Willard Mitchell Framed 8A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Indian Church Tadoussac"- Mint Condition

Size: 3" x 4" - SOLD

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Willard Mitchell Framed 9Willard Mitchell Framed 9A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Cape Trinity"

Size: 3" x 4" - SOLD

 

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W. M. Mitchell Framed 10Willard Mitchell Framed 10A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Skiing in Beautiful Quebec"

Size: 2½" x 3" - SOLD

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W.  M. Mitchell Framed 11Willard Mitchell Framed 11A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Skiers in Quebec"

Size: 3" x 4" - SOLD

 

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Willard Mitchell Framed 12Willard Mitchell Framed 12A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "French Habitant Village"

Size: 3" x 4" -   SOLD

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W. Mitchell Framed 13Willard Mitchell Framed 13A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Little Red Sleigh"

Size: 3" x 4" -   SOLD

 

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W. Mitchell Framed 14Willard Mitchell Framed 14A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "The Skier on Mount Royal"

Size: 2½" x 3" -   SOLD

 

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W. M. Mitchell Framed 15Willard Mitchell Framed 15A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Birch Sentinels" 1944

Size: 4" x 3" - SOLD

 

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W. M. Mitchell Framed 16W. M. Mitchell 16A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "A Peek Through the Trees" 1944

Size: 4" x 3" - SOLD

 

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W. M. Mitchell Framed 17Willard Mitchell Framed 17A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Homeward Bound" - 1953

Size: 3" x 4" - SOLD

 

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W. M. Mitchell Framed  18Framed 18A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Lake L'Achigan"

Size: 3" x 2½" - SOLD

 

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Willard Mitchell Framed 19Willard Mitchell Framed 19A

Willard Mitchell watercolour - "Homeward Bound" - 1953

Size: 3" x 4" - SOLD

 

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W. M. Mitchell Bio Title

 

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 Mitchell was the most prolific 20th century Canadian painter of miniature watercolours. 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.

Willard Mitchell, Canada's 20th Century Master of the Miniature

Updated November 15, 2022


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