Forshaw Day
Purcell's Cove; Spectacle Island
no date
oil on canvas
30.2 x 50.7 cm
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Purchase, 1961
Photo: Gary Castle

Shortly after his arrival from England in 1862, Forshaw Day opened a studio on Halifax’s Bedford Row. From this location he worked as a draughtsman, painted and offered private art lessons. Day painted the Nova Scotia landscape in the English academic tradition. This painting of Purcell’s Cove looking towards Spectacle Island, shows the sea at low tide. The scene is tranquil, and while no people are in sight, their presence can be felt in the houses on the shore and the boats anchored in the bay. The only movement stirring the quiet are the birds gliding over the water in search of food.