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Ham Street - the river end

John Sanderson Sanderson-Wells

1940

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Early Modern Landscape

Dominant colour

Ham Street - the river end is a 1940 watercolor by John Sanderson Sanderson-Wells, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: John Sanderson Sanderson-Wells
When & what style?: 1940 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sketch shows a quiet, snowy scene with bare trees and a fence running along a riverbank. A small house sits near the water’s edge, and a lone figure stands outside, maybe shoveling or just pausing. The ground is covered in snow, and the trees have no leaves, their branches tangled against a pale sky. The artist used loose, quick strokes—almost like scribbles—to capture the light and shadows. It feels like a quick note of a moment, not a polished scene. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.

The story of this work

Overview

This drawing by John Sanderson-Wells, signed and dated 1940, depicts a rural road lined with mature trees, where cattle graze beside woodsmen cutting fallen branches. Part of the "Recording Britain" collection, it was created under a wartime scheme to document British landscapes and national identity, funded by the Pilgrim Trust and overseen by Sir Kenneth Clark. The work reflects concerns about wartime threats and landscape changes, aiming to preserve scenes of rural life and traditional art forms. Over 1,500 works were produced by 97 artists as part of this initiative.

Read the full account in the museum source.