Artwork
Jesus Hospital, Bray
Jesus Hospital, Bray is a watercolor work on paper by the Social Realist artist H. E. Du Plessis. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Jesus Hospital, Bray is a 1940 watercolour by H. E. du Plessis, created as part of the Recording Britain project.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a 17th-century almshouse in Bray, capturing its brick façade, steep roof, and surrounding landscape. A statue above the front door and a sign reading 'Jesus Hospital' are prominent features.
Technique & Style
Du Plessis employed loose, quick brushstrokes, balancing detail and suggestion. The colour palette is subdued, with warm tones for the brickwork, cool greens for the foliage, and a pale sky.
History & Provenance
The work was produced under a wartime scheme to document British life and landscape, funded by the Pilgrim Trust and led by Sir Kenneth Clark. It is part of the Recording Britain collection, held with over 1,500 other works by 97 artists.
Artist & collection
Artist
A South Wales watercolor artist active around 1940, H. E. Du Plessis painted the everyday buildings and lanes of Glamorganshire. Brush in hand, he recorded places like the low stone Jesus Hospital in Bray and the…
