Artwork
The Vale of Pickering from the Castle Grounds
The Vale of Pickering from the Castle Grounds 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
The Vale of Pickering from the Castle Grounds is a 1940 watercolour by John Cooper, created as part of the Recording Britain project.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a view of the Vale of Pickering, with the ruins of Pickering Castle framing the scene and rooftops leading to distant hills.
Technique & Style
Cooper employed loose, expressive brushstrokes and soft blends of grey and brown to convey the worn, aged appearance of the castle and its surroundings.
History & Provenance
The work was produced during World War II, as part of a wartime initiative to document England's landscapes and historic sites, funded by the Pilgrim Trust.
Context
The Recording Britain project, led by Sir Kenneth Clark, aimed to preserve images of rural England during a time of cultural and physical threat.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Cooper specialized in quiet watercolor views of northern England from the 1940s.
Llannichangel, Glamorganshire
Ewenny Priory, Glamorganshire
Oystermouth Castle, Gower, Glamorganshire
Middleham Castle
A bridge over a stream, with a cottage behind
A cottage by a wood at Findon, Sussex
Jerpoint Abbey
Beverstone Castle, near Tetbury
Landscape with river and mountains
Hampstead Heath, from near Well Walk
The Ruined Temple of Friendship in the Grounds at Stowe