High Tide at Dieppe

Several Canadian artists sought inspiration on the Brittany and Normandy Coasts. In 1885, James MacDonald Barnsley returned to Montreal with two large paintings now in the Museum’s collection, anticipating James Wilson Morrice, who was later known for his works on this subject. Both paintings represent the port of Dieppe, which has a deep natural harbour bordered by a cliff and a long pier lined with merchants’ shops. In High Tide, Barnsley set a dialogue between the mass of moored schooners and harbour life against a backdrop of sumptuous grey and brown tonalities. This painting was acquired by Morrice’s father, who gave it to the Art Association in 1911.