Artwork
Old Cottages, Long Crendon
Old Cottages, Long Crendon is a watercolor work on paper by the Social Realist artist Stanley Anderson. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Old Cottages, Long Crendon is a 1940 watercolour by Stanley Anderson, depicting a village street scene with thatched-roof cottages and everyday rural life.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a tranquil atmosphere in Long Crendon village, showing old stone houses with thatched roofs and residents going about their daily activities, highlighting the relationship between people and their built environment.
Technique & Style
Anderson's use of watercolour emphasizes the warm, lived-in quality of the cottages, with the play of light on their surfaces creating a sense of depth and character.
History & Provenance
This work was part of the 'Recording Britain' project, a wartime initiative to document the British landscape through topographical art, commissioned by the Committee for the Employment of Artists in Wartime and funded by the Pilgrim Trust.
Context
The 'Recording Britain' project, directed by Sir Kenneth Clark, aimed to record scenes threatened by bomb damage and urban expansion, resulting in a collection of over 1,500 works by 97 artists, primarily focusing on English villages, churches, and rural landscapes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Stanley Anderson was an American character actor who played Drew Carey's father on The Drew Carey Show.
