Artwork
The Junction: Near Hammersmith
The Junction: Near Hammersmith is a watercolor work on paper by the Post-Impressionist artist Matthew Webb. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work titled The Junction: Near Hammersmith is a watercolour created in the early 1900s. Rendered in a muted palette, it captures a quiet, nocturnal stretch of suburban London, emphasizing the emptiness of the scene after dusk.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on a deserted urban intersection, conveying a sense of isolation that characterises the outskirts of the capital at night. The subdued atmosphere invites contemplation of the city's quieter moments, contrasting with the bustling daytime image of London.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, the piece relies on delicate washes and soft edges to suggest the faint glow of streetlights and the hazy air. The handling of tone and the emphasis on mood align it with early twentieth‑century night‑city studies that attracted photographers for their atmospheric qualities.
History & Provenance
The artist, Matthew Webb, remains a relatively obscure figure, known primarily as a former student of Edward Burne‑Jones. Records place his activity around 1908, situating the painting within the period when nocturnal urban scenes gained popularity among visual artists and photographers alike.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Captain Matthew Webb was an English seaman, swimmer and stuntman who became the first person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aids. Webb increased the popularity of swimming in England.
A Wing of Christiansborg Palace
Sir Richard Steele's Cottages
The Great Main, Near Sheffield
Night on the sea. From the journey to Constantinople
In the Field (Sunset in the Ukraine)
The Travellers, Charleroi
Quarries Near Montmartre
The Lake of Fire, Charleroi
Nocturnal Landscape with House and Church Spire
English War Work: Furnaces at Night
Furnaces at Night- Broad Street, Oxford, by Moonlight