Under the Shadow of the Tent, 1914

Impressionist-style painting by Helen McNicoll of two women sitting on the beach under the shade of a tent. One woman, wearing a white dress, sits on a blanket and leans over a sketchbook. The other woman, wearing a hat and painting smock, looks in a box of painting materials on her lap. People playing in the water are visible near the top of the frame.

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.

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Under the Shadow of the Tent - Art Canada