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The Crescent, Buxton

Kenneth Rowntree

1940

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Early Modern Architectural

Dominant colour

The Crescent, Buxton is a 1940 watercolor by Kenneth Rowntree, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Kenneth Rowntree
When & what style?: 1940
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This watercolor shows a large, stately building with tall columns and arched windows on the ground floor. The roof has a greenish patina, and a dome sits behind it. In front, a low stone wall runs along the base, with bare trees and a curved walkway leading toward the building. The sky is pale with soft hills in the distance. The artist focused on the building’s grand lines, using light and shadow to give it depth. The trees are sketched quickly, almost like afterthoughts, while the architecture takes center stage. For more like this, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

This watercolour by Kenneth Rowntree depicts a cramped view of The Crescent in Buxton, taken from an elevated, wooded vantage point that emphasizes the site's awkward topography. Several tall trees occupy the foreground, while hills appear in the distance, framing the architectural structure. The ground-level arcades of the building are blocked with sandbags, suggesting its use for military purposes during the Second World War. The work was produced as part of the 'Recording Britain' initiative, a wartime project documenting Britain's changing landscapes and national identity.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Kenneth Rowntree

Kenneth Rowntree painted quiet British places in watercolour around 1940, from barn-stacked Essex fields to the carved oak pews of Caernarvonshire chapels.

See the richer artist page