Artwork
Old Monastery Doorway, now the entrance to Quenington Court, Quenington
Old Monastery Doorway, now the entrance to Quenington Court, Quenington is a watercolor work on paper by Bissill. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This watercolour, signed by the artist Bissill, portrays an off‑centre view of an arched doorway embedded in the thick stone walls of Quinington Court, Gloucestershire. The composition includes a small pointed‑arch door on the left, through which the interior of the house can be glimpsed, and a bare‑branched tree to the right, lending a wintry atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The depicted entrance was originally part of an old monastic structure that now serves as the main entry to Quinington Court. By focusing on the solid masonry and the modest opening, the work emphasizes the continuity of historic architecture within a rural landscape, suggesting a quiet endurance of place.
Technique & Style
Executed in muted tones of grey and brown, the watercolour employs subtle contrasts of light and shadow to model the stone surfaces. The restrained palette and delicate handling of the bare tree convey a sense of stillness, while the use of chiaroscuro subtly defines depth without overt dramatization.
History & Provenance
The painting belongs to the Recording Britain collection, a wartime initiative launched in 1940 by the Committee for the Employment of Artists in Wartime under the Ministry of Labour and National Service. Financed by the Pilgrim Trust, the scheme commissioned artists to document threatened buildings and landscapes across the United Kingdom. The work is now held by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Context
Recorded during the Second World War, the image reflects the project’s aim to preserve visual records of sites considered at risk from bombings, neglect, or modernization. Quinington Court’s monastic doorway, repurposed as a domestic entrance, exemplifies the type of heritage that the Recording Britain programme sought to safeguard for future generations.
Artist & collection
Artist
This artist created watercolors of English villages around 1940. They painted Quenington Village, The Village Way in Winson, Lechlade, The River Coln at Bibury, and Old Cottage in Ibthorpe. Close your eyes and picture…
