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Columbarian, South Stoke

Hardie

1940

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Early Modern

Dominant colour

Columbarian, South Stoke is a 1940 watercolor by Hardie, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

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

About this work

This watercolor painting shows a large, two-story house with a steeply pitched roof and a small window near the top. The house is surrounded by trees and fields, with a few horses grazing in the distance. In the foreground, there is a body of water that reflects the sky above. The painting has a soft, dreamy quality to it, with muted colors and gentle brushstrokes. The artist has captured the serene atmosphere of the countryside, inviting the viewer to step into the peaceful scene. If you're interested in learning more about the artist's technique, you might want to explore the use of chiaroscuro, which creates a sense of depth and volume in the painting.

The story of this work

Overview

A watercolour signed by the artist, depicting timber-framed buildings in a rural setting with a body of water in the foreground, was created in 1940 as part of the Recording Britain collection. The project, funded by the Pilgrim Trust and overseen by the Committee for the Employment of Artists in Wartime, aimed to document aspects of British life and landscape perceived as threatened by wartime conditions and modernization. Initiated by Sir Kenneth Clark, director of the National Gallery, the scheme commissioned artists to record scenes such as market towns, churches, and rural landscapes…

Read the full account in the museum source.