Darcy Morell

About the Painting

This seascape, painted around 1880, depicts a bustling seaport likely located in Northern France or Normandy. The composition captures the lively maritime atmosphere of the late 19th century, featuring a variety of vessels that animate the harbor scene. In the foreground, a quay is accompanied by a steamship, while several sailing vessels and smaller boats with sailors complete the dynamic composition.

The painting exemplifies the transition period in maritime history when steam-powered vessels began to share harbors with traditional sailing ships. Morell's careful attention to the details of rigging, hull construction, and the activity of sailors reflects his familiarity with coastal life along the English Channel, where he spent considerable time between London and Calais.

Signed in the lower right corner, this oil on canvas is housed in a gilt wood frame and remains in very good condition. The work comes with Swedish provenance and represents Morell's mature style as a seascape painter during the height of his exhibition career.

About the Artist

John Darcy Morell (1854-1929) was a British painter and journalist known for his seascapes and maritime subjects. Born on December 23, 1854, in Hampstead, London, Morell exhibited various seascapes between 1877 and 1880 at prestigious London venues including the Royal Academy, Suffolk Street Exhibitions, and the Grosvenor Gallery.

While little is known about his formal artistic training, Morell's exhibition record demonstrates that he was an active participant in London's art world during the late 1870s and early 1880s. His seascapes often depicted the harbors and coastal scenes of Northern France and the English Channel, reflecting his personal connections to both England and France.

Morell lived between London, Calais in the Pas-de-Calais region, and Colombes near Paris, maintaining a transatlantic lifestyle that informed his maritime subjects. This geographic mobility gave him firsthand knowledge of the busy ports and shipping routes that connected England and France during the Victorian era.

In addition to his painting career, Morell worked as a journalist, though details of his writing career remain scarce. His dual professions as painter and journalist suggest a keen observational eye and an interest in documenting the contemporary world around him.

John Darcy Morell died on October 15, 1929, in Colombes, near Paris, leaving behind a body of work that documents the maritime life of the English Channel during the late Victorian period.

Technical Details

Artist: Darcy Morell (1854-1929)
Signed: Lower right
Date: c.1880
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Very good condition
Dimensions: 48 x 74 cm / 19 x 29 in
Frame: 60 x 87 cm / 23½ x 34¼ in, gilt wood, very good condition
Provenance: Sweden

A maritime scene by a Royal Academy exhibitor and British journalist.