Artwork
Ashberry Bridge (North side), Rievaulx
Ashberry Bridge (North side), Rievaulx is a watercolor work on paper by John Cooper. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Ashberry Bridge (North side), Rievaulx is a watercolour by John Cooper, depicting a serene English landscape featuring a three-arched stone bridge over the River Wye, set against a backdrop of hills, bare trees, and a small yellow building.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a rural scene capturing Ashberry Bridge near Rievaulx, with emphasis on the natural and built environment. The work's meaning extends beyond the depiction, as it was part of the 'Recording Britain' project, aiming to preserve pre-war English landscapes amidst fears of destruction and change.
Technique & Style
Cooper employed loose, sketchy brushstrokes in muted colours (browns, grays, soft greens) with occasional bright accents, conveying a sense of light, shadow, and freshness. The overall effect is quick and spontaneous.
History & Provenance
Created in the early 1940s under the 'Recording Britain' initiative, funded by the Pilgrim Trust and directed by Sir Kenneth Clark, this watercolour was part of a larger effort to support artists and document the English landscape during wartime.
Context
Part of a broader wartime project to record topographical scenes, this piece reflects contemporary anxieties about the potential loss of traditional British landscapes due to war.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Cooper specialized in quiet watercolor views of northern England from the 1940s.
Aylesford Bridge
Greta Bridge
Aymestry
Lady Bridge over the Kennett and Avon Canal, Wilcot
Woodford Bridge in the Avon Valley
Toll Bridge, Whitney-on-Wye
Bridge and Pigeon House, Eardisland
The Bridge at Tyringham, Buckinghamshire
Wycoller Village
Mont Sainte-Victoire Seen beyond the Wall of the Jas de Bouffan