Artwork
The Southdown, Underhill Road: Porching Farm from Fulking
The Southdown, Underhill Road: Porching Farm from Fulking is a watercolor work on paper by the British Romanticist artist Charles Knight. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The Southdown, Underhill Road: Porching Farm from Fulking is a watercolour painting by Charles Knight, created in 1940 as part of the Recording Britain project.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a serene rural landscape in Sussex, featuring rolling hills, small houses, and a lone figure walking along a path. The scene captures a moment of tranquility, reflecting the project's aim to preserve a visual record of traditional British scenery.
Technique & Style
Knight employed loose, sketchy brushstrokes and a muted colour palette, dominated by pale yellows, grays, and earthy browns, to convey a sense of simplicity and gentle light. The watercolour technique and faded paper contribute to the painting's soft, aged appearance.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced under the Recording Britain project, a wartime initiative funded by the Pilgrim Trust and overseen by Sir Kenneth Clark, director of the National Gallery, to document the British landscape and support artists.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Knight was a British landscape painter and stained-glass artist, best remembered for his watercolour paintings of the landscapes of Sussex.
- The Southdown, Underhill Road: Westwards from Poynings
Regency Brighton: Houses in Russell Square, Sussex
Fields and Woods South of Ditchling
The County Hall and High Street, Lewes
The Southdown, Underhill Road; Wickhurst Barn near Poynings looking Westwards
Hangleton Manor, near Brighton
House and Shop in Pool Valley, Brighton
The Southdown, Underhill Road; Ditchling Beacon, from the Meadows near Westmeston
