Solomon's Temple, Buxton

Executed in a topographical manner, the work employs delicate watercolor washes to model form and surface. Layered pigments suggest the roughness of stone walls, while finer strokes delineate the round windows and doorway, achieving a balance between precise detail and atmospheric softness.

Created under the Recording Britain programme, the piece was part of a wartime effort funded by the Pilgrim Trust and overseen by Sir Kenneth Clark. The initiative commissioned artists to document sites deemed at risk from wartime damage or modern development, providing both a cultural archive and financial support for creators.

The painting reflects broader concerns of the early 1940s about the loss of traditional English scenery. Alongside works by contemporaries such as John Piper and Rowland Hilder, Hagedorn’s watercolour contributes to a visual record of a Britain perceived to be disappearing amid conflict and change.