Malmesbury
1922
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
About the artist
Artist
Martin Hardie
Martin Hardie (1875–1952) was a painter in watercolour, printmaker, art historian and museum curator.
See the richer artist page1922
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Malmesbury is a 1922 watercolor by Martin Hardie, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This watercolor shows a small town with clustered buildings and a church steeple rising above them. The houses have simple roofs, and a big tree frames the right side. A river runs along the bottom, with a few people walking near it. The colors are soft—light browns, greens, and pale blues—with quick, loose brushstrokes. The painting feels like a snapshot of a quiet moment, with no grand drama. The artist used watercolor, which keeps the scene light and airy. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.
A watercolour by Martin Hardie, titled *Malmesbury*, was created as part of the *Recording Britain* project during the Second World War. The initiative employed artists to document British landscapes and buildings, aiming to preserve a record of places and traditions perceived as threatened by wartime destruction or modern development. The collection focused primarily on English scenes, including market towns, rural landscapes, and historic sites. Hardie’s work is one of over 1,500 pieces produced by 97 artists under the scheme, which was directed by Sir Kenneth Clark and supported by the…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Martin Hardie (1875–1952) was a painter in watercolour, printmaker, art historian and museum curator.
See the richer artist page
