Under the Shadow of the Tent, 1914

Helen McNicoll, Under the Shadow of the Tent, 1914, oil on canvas, 83.5 x 101.2 cm, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Under the Shadow of the Tent is an image of female partnership and friendship. Both figures are focused on artistic activities: the seated woman is wearing a painting smock as she looks in her box of painting materials, while the other is browsing through a sketchbook. The women, absorbed in their work, do not acknowledge each other or the viewer. The painting’s relatively large size supports the idea that women’s artistic activity is important.







