Yachting on the Bay c. 1928 - 1930

Henrietta Mary Shore created 'Yachting on the Bay' with graphite on paper. Shore’s modernist works captured the energy and spirit of the early 20th century, an era of rapid social and artistic change in North America. Shore was deeply influenced by her time studying with Robert Henri and by the spiritual philosophies of Jiddu Krishnamurti. You can see this influence in the simplification of form and the search for essential truths in her art. The print captures the leisure activity of yachting, a symbol of wealth and freedom, but it also hints at deeper emotional undercurrents, with people sailing to an unknown destination. The artist subtly disrupts traditional representations of leisure, prompting us to consider the complexities of class and freedom. Shore explores modernism with both an emotional and analytical eye. The image leaves one to ponder the relationship between personal freedom and social identity.