Artwork
Old Cottages, Long Crendon
Old Cottages, Long Crendon is a watercolor work on paper by the Social Realist artist Anderson. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Old Cottages, Long Crendon is a 1940 watercolour by Anderson, capturing a serene village scene in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, featuring traditional thatched and timber-framed cottages.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork depicts everyday rural life, with villagers going about their day amidst cattle in the street and domestic details like baskets and shutters, conveying a sense of quiet, uninterrupted life.
Technique & Style
Anderson employed soft, muted watercolours to evoke light and shadow, imbuing the scene with calmness and emphasizing the organic, traditional architecture of the cottages.
History & Provenance
Created as part of the 'Recording Britain' project, initiated by Sir Kenneth Clark and funded by the Pilgrim Trust during WWII, this work aimed to document and preserve images of Britain's cultural heritage.
Artist & collection
Artist
These watercolours capture quiet English villages in the 1940s, their sloping roofs and stone walls standing firm against time.
An old Quaker Meeting House, Hedgerley Village
A 15th century cottage at Nether Wynchenden
Blackhall Farm, King's Pyon
East Bergholt
Preparing for the Coronation, West Malling, May, 1937.
Towcester High Street from the Pomfret Arms Corner, Northamptonshire
Village Scene
High Street, Southover, looking West