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Cedric Morris travelled prolifically throughout his life. Each winter he would travel abroad in search of subject matter to paint and exotic plant seeds to collect and propagate back at home in England. Among the numerous places Morris visited Portugal was among his most frequented. Morris and his lifelong partner Arthur Lett-Haines (1894-1978) often took time apart as evidenced by the numerous letters written by Cedric to Lett (as he was known throughout his life) whilst on holiday abroad. Portinho da Arrábida, in South West Portugal in the Setúbal Municipality, was a place that Morris painted at least three times during his career. In the 1930s he painted a view of the cove looking west towards the distinctive hills that adorn the Arrábida coastline (‘Portinho da Arrábida’ Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery Collection). In 1956, whilst travelling extensively throughout Portugal he returned with fellow plantsman Nigel Scott to paint the same view in a work entitled Portuguese Bay (Philip Mould & Company). It is evident that Arrábida was a place of great significance for Morris.

In Arrábida Morris changes the vantage point so that the viewer is looking south and out towards the Atlantic Ocean. The position from which Morris painted the present work can be seen in earlier works depicting the bay. Within the hills of Portinho da Arrábida there is a small village from which Morris most likely painted this work. It is unclear whether he would have painted en plein air, however, the loose and confident brushwork is a strong indication that he might have done so. Morris would often take long walks when travelling with the intention of stumbling upon a particularly appealing vista from which to draw inspiration. In this work would appear that having painted the bay at least once before Morris was determined to paint it from another angle, this time looking down from the hills as opposed to across at them.

The resultant work is one of free and determined composition. The jagged angularity of the hills are calmed by the soothing solidity of the expansive blue ocean behind them. This is yet another example of Morris’ supreme ability to harmonise contrasting forms and colours into one unified and appealing composition. Portugal was a source of great inspiration for him, in particular the richness of the natural colours to be found among the languid coastal views. During one of his numerous trips to Portugal Morris wrote to Lett from Portinho da Arrábida stating that he had with him ‘cart-loads of plants and 6 paintings – 4 [of which are] not bad’. This is a fascinating glimpse into Morris’ creative habits whilst traveling. He was a prolific painter both at home in England and abroad as well as being an ardent collector of plant and vegetable specimens that he picked up on his travels. Although the precise date of Arrabida is not currently known, the colour scheme and simplified forms are strikingly similar to those seen in a work Morris executed whilst in Tenerife in 1955. From this comparison it is certainly possible that Morris painted the present work a year later in January 1956 when he painted Portuguese Bay.

The allure of plant collecting throughout the region held a persistent attraction for Morris. His garden of rare plants and propagated Irises at Benton End (Hadleigh, Suffolk) was renowned among gardeners and artists alike as being among the finest private collections of plants in the country. In this respect Morris was relentless in his search for foreign species of plants and flowers from which he could draw inspiration both as a painter and as a plantsman.

In Arrábida it is the very essence of the place itself. The gentle lapping of the surf as it makes contact with the surrounding cliffs, the light as it falls upon the stuccoed building in the right foreground or the trail of the cove as it bends towards the North Atlantic Ocean. All of this is captured by Morris in a moment of supreme painting investing the work with the quality similar to the Impressionist method of painting en plein air. An outdoorsman by nature his painting of the Portuguese coastline perfectly synthesises his proficiency when painting landscapes.