Who painted Lych Gate, Bray?

Lych Gate, Bray was painted by H. E. Du Plessis in 1940.

Where can I see Lych Gate, Bray?

Lych Gate, Bray is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is Lych Gate, Bray?

Lych Gate, Bray is associated with British Romanticism.

Artwork

Lych Gate, Bray

H. E. Du Plessis , 1940

Lych Gate, Bray is a watercolor work on paper by the British Romanticist artist H. E. Du Plessis. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Lych Gate, Bray is a 1940 watercolour by H. E. Du Plessis, depicting the lychgate of St. Michael's parish church in Bray, accompanied by adjacent buildings and a tree, set against a soft, muted sky.

Subject & Meaning

The artwork captures a serene Bray street scene, focusing on the lychgate and its surroundings. Created during WWII as part of the Recording Britain project, it reflects wartime concerns over preserving Britain's heritage amid fears of destruction and rural change.

Technique & Style

Du Plessis employed watercolour to achieve a delicate, subtle portrayal. Blended brushstrokes create a cohesive, peaceful atmosphere, inviting the viewer into the tranquil scene.

History & Provenance

Commissioned under the Recording Britain initiative (1940-1943), directed by Sir Kenneth Clark and funded by the Pilgrim Trust, this work is one of over 1,500 topographical pieces by 97 artists documenting England, Wales, and Scotland's landscape and heritage.

Context

Part of a broader wartime effort to document vulnerable heritage sites, Lych Gate, Bray sits within a large collection of artworks responding to the era's preservation anxieties.

Legacy

As part of the Recording Britain collection, the piece contributes to a significant archival record of Britain's pre-war landscape, continuing to provide insight into the country's cultural and geographical heritage of the time.

Artist & collection

Artist

H. E. Du Plessis

A South Wales watercolor artist active around 1940, H. E. Du Plessis painted the everyday buildings and lanes of Glamorganshire. Brush in hand, he recorded places like the low stone Jesus Hospital in Bray and the…