Sir Noël Coward (1899-1973)

Noël Coward first visited Jamaica in 1944 on a two week holiday. Four years later he stayed at Ian Fleming's estate while he searched for a property: 'We discussed over drinks the possibility of building a shack ... and how wonderful it would be to have such an idyllic bolt-hole to return to when life became too frustrating' (see C. Lesley, The Life of Noël Coward, London, 1976, p. 263). Coward built a series of houses commanding amazing coastal views which he named Blue Harbour. Later he built Firefly as a retreat on a deserted tract of land above Blue Harbour.

The present work depicts the view from Firefly towards Port Maria. Cole Lesley in his biography of Coward describes the view; 'spread before you is a ravishing view of the sea, with Port Maria Bay to the right, the small town almost hidden by coco-palm and banana plantations ... and above all this beauty is the long range of the Blue Mountains ... sometimes almost purple, always blue' (loc.cit.).