Open full image Pin

Elephant Riding, Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, London

Walter Bayes

1940

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Early Modern

Dominant colour

Elephant Riding, Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, London is a 1940 watercolor by Walter Bayes, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Walter Bayes
When & what style?: 1940
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This watercolor shows a busy scene at a zoo. A large elephant stands on a wooden platform, with people riding on its back. Others watch from benches or stand nearby, some holding hats or bags. In the background, a tall tower and trees add depth to the scene. The artist used loose brushstrokes to capture the lively crowd and the elephant’s texture. The colors are soft but bright, with blues and greens standing out. Look up Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.

The story of this work

Overview

Walter Bayes’s 1940 watercolour depicts a scene from London’s Zoological Gardens in Regent’s Park, showing visitors riding on an elephant while others stand nearby feeding or observing it. A zoo attendant directs the animal with a cane held near its trunk, and a crowd gathers near a monkey enclosure in the background. The work was produced as part of the Recording Britain project, a wartime initiative funded by the Pilgrim Trust to document aspects of British life and landscape during the Second World War.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Walter Bayes

Walter John Bayes was an English painter and illustrator who was a founder member of both the Camden Town Group and the London Group and also a renowned art teacher and critic.

See the richer artist page