Exterior of the Church of St. Denis, Faxton
1940
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1940
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Exterior of the Church of St. Denis, Faxton is a 1940 watercolor by Piper, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows the exterior of a church, with a large stone building and a tower. The church is surrounded by trees and bushes, and the sky is cloudy. The painting is done in watercolor, with muted colors that give it a soft, dreamy quality. The artist has used gentle brushstrokes to capture the texture of the stone and the foliage. If you're interested in learning more about this style of painting, you might want to look up the technique of sfumato.
The work depicts the exterior of the Church of St. Denis in Faxton, rendered in watercolour, featuring a distinctive double bell cote illuminated against a dark grey sky. It was created in 1940 as part of the "Recording Britain" project, a wartime initiative commissioned by the Ministry of Labour and National Service to document places and buildings across England that reflected national identity. The scheme, directed by Sir Kenneth Clark, aimed to preserve a visual record of landscapes and structures threatened by wartime damage or rapid change. Over 1,500 works were produced by 97 artists…
Read the full account in the museum source.
A 1940s British artist known for delicate watercolours of country houses, churches, and riverside views, Piper captured quiet corners of England in soft washes and fine lines.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
