A Summer Afternoon in Surrey: Haymaking
1881
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1881
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
A Summer Afternoon in Surrey: Haymaking is a 1881 watercolor by Alfred Powell, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This watercolor shows a soft, hazy landscape with a river winding through green fields. A few people and horses are scattered near the water, working in the tall grass. The sky is pale, and the whole scene feels warm but quiet. The artist focused on everyday life—no grand drama, just a simple afternoon. The light looks gentle, almost blending colors together. Next, look up Alfred Powell to see more of his calm, realistic scenes.
Alfred Powell’s *A Summer Afternoon in Surrey: Haymaking* is a watercolour landscape depicting rural labor in late 19th-century England. The work reflects the artist’s engagement with the New Watercolour Society and similar exhibiting bodies active during his career from 1870 to 1905. Rendered in transparent washes, the scene captures the seasonal activity of haymaking against a backdrop of Surrey’s gently rolling terrain. Powell’s participation in major London exhibitions situates the piece within the broader context of Victorian landscape watercolour practice.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Alfred Powell painted quiet watercolor scenes of rural England in the 1800s. He captured fleeting moments like *A Summer Afternoon in Surrey: Haymaking* (1881), where soft light plays over fields and workers. His style…
See the richer artist page
