Hardie

Hardie painted watercolours of quiet corners in 1930s and 1940s England, usually coastal or village scenes with buildings and daily life. In Preparing for the Coronation, West Malling, May, 1937, you’ll see bunting and crowds in soft washes of peach and grey. Reculver shows crumbling towers by the sea, the sky a pale wash over salt-stained paper.

His brush kept close to the ground: churches, towers, and ordinary streets. Tap Whitstable to stand on the shingle and watch the light catch the boats.