Artwork
The Post Office, Hurley
The Post Office, Hurley is a watercolor work on paper by the Social Realist artist Hussey. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1940 by the artist William Hussey, this watercolour portrays the historic timber‑framed post office of Hurley, a village in Berkshire. Executed in a restrained palette, the image captures a modest street scene with the building’s white façade, a neighboring brown house, and a red mailbox, all rendered in soft, muted tones that convey a quiet, everyday atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The composition records a 17th‑century structure still serving as the local post office at the time of the painting. By focusing on ordinary architecture and a rain‑slicked street, the work emphasizes the continuity of rural community life amid the uncertainties of wartime Britain.
Technique & Style
Hussey employs simple geometric forms and delicate washes of colour, allowing light to glide across tiled roofs and chimney stacks. The subtle handling of wet pavement and foliage creates a sense of calm, while the limited palette reinforces the modesty of the setting.
History & Provenance
The piece belongs to the Recording Britain project, a wartime initiative launched by Sir Kenneth Clark and funded by the Pilgrim Trust. Managed by the Committee for the Employment of Artists in Wartime, the scheme commissioned artists to document threatened English locales between 1940 and 1943, producing over 1,500 works.
Context
Recording Britain sought to preserve visual records of sites vulnerable to bomb damage, invasion, or landscape change, while also providing employment for artists during World War II. The collection primarily focused on rural and historic English subjects, with only limited representation from Wales and none from Scotland or Northern Ireland.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Philip Hussey (1713–1783), was an Irish portrait-painter. Hussey was born at Cloyne, in the county of Cork and his career began as a sailor. He was shipwrecked three times. He drew the figureheads and stern ornaments of…
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