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Old Houses, Cheadle

Cheek

1943

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Social Realism Early Modern Architectural Worcester

Dominant colour

Old Houses, Cheadle is a 1943 watercolor by Cheek, a Social Realism work, depicting Worcester, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Cheek
When & what style?: 1943 · Social Realism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting depicts a charming street scene, featuring a row of old houses with steeply pitched roofs and half-timbered facades. The buildings are rendered in muted colors, with a warm glow emanating from the windows. In the background, a church steeple rises above the rooftops, adding a sense of depth and context to the scene. The overall atmosphere is one of quiet tranquility, inviting the viewer to step into the peaceful world of the painting. For more on the artist behind this work, look up Cheek.

The story of this work

Overview

Old Houses, Cheadle by Cheek is a watercolour painting signed and dated 1943. The composition depicts old buildings featuring elaborate black-and-white timber framing, with a church spire visible in the background. This work is part of the "Recording Britain" collection, a wartime initiative that employed artists to document British architecture and landscapes between 1940 and 1943. The project was funded by the Pilgrim Trust and directed by Sir Kenneth Clark to preserve scenes perceived as part of a vanishing national identity.

Read the full account in the museum source.