Who painted Round House, Veryan, Cornwall?

Round House, Veryan, Cornwall was painted by Barbara Jones in 1943.

Where can I see Round House, Veryan, Cornwall?

Round House, Veryan, Cornwall is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

Round House, Veryan, Cornwall

Barbara Jones , 1943

Round House, Veryan, Cornwall is a watercolor work on paper by Barbara Jones. It dates from 1943 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Barbara Jones’s watercolour portrays a modest, circular building in Veryan, Cornwall, topped by a steep conical roof and punctuated by a pointed‑arch doorway and a small, diamond‑pane window. The structure, rendered in stark white, sits amid tall grass, wild foliage and a winding dirt path, under a soft, pale sky that gives the scene a tranquil, rural atmosphere.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a vernacular round house, a form associated with medieval and ecclesiastical architecture, emphasizing the simplicity and resilience of local building traditions. By isolating the building within its natural surroundings, the painting underscores the intimate relationship between architecture and landscape in Cornwall’s countryside.

Technique & Style

Jones employs a light, sketch‑like wash of watercolour, favoring muted greens, whites and earth tones. The brushwork is economical, defining the building’s geometry with clean lines while rendering the surrounding vegetation with delicate, almost tactile detail, creating a balance between structural clarity and atmospheric softness.

History & Provenance

Created in 1943, the piece is signed, dated and titled by the artist. It forms part of the Recording Britain project, a wartime effort commissioned by the Ministry of Labour and National Service to document at‑risk architectural and rural heritage across the United Kingdom.

Context

The Recording Britain scheme, directed by Sir Kenneth Clark, operated from 1940 to 1943 and produced over 1,500 works. Its purpose was to preserve visual records of sites vulnerable to wartime damage or post‑war modernization, reflecting a broader cultural concern for safeguarding national identity through visual documentation.

Artist & collection

Artist

Barbara Jones

Barbara Mildred Jones (25 December 1912 – 28 August 1978) was an English artist, writer and mural painter. She is known for curating the exhibition Black Eyes and Lemonade (1951) and her book The Unsophisticated Arts (1951).

Museum

Victoria and Albert Museum

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