Artwork
Pembridge
Pembridge is a watercolor work on paper by Cowern. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Pembridge is a 1940 watercolour by Cowern, capturing a serene street scene in the market town of Pembridge, with cottages, timber-framed houses, and a grassy road.
Subject & Meaning
The painting documents a quintessential English market town, reflecting the wartime effort to preserve Britain’s cultural and geographical identity through the Recording Britain initiative.
Technique & Style
Cowern employed soft, muted watercolours, subtle shading, and texture to achieve depth and dimensionality, evoking a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere through gentle brushstrokes and colour gradations.
History & Provenance
Commissioned under the Recording Britain scheme (1940), funded by the Pilgrim Trust and directed by Sir Kenneth Clark, Pembridge is one of over 1,500 works created to record vulnerable aspects of Britain during WWII.
Context
Part of a broader wartime project focusing on England (with limited coverage of Wales and Scotland, excluding Northern Ireland), Pembridge represents the scheme’s emphasis on capturing market towns, rural landscapes, and historic buildings at risk.
Artist & collection
Artist
Cowern is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:Dianna Cowern, American YouTuber Jenny Cowern (1943–2005), English artist Raymond Teague Cowern (1913–1986), British painter and illustrator
