Artwork
Bawdsey Ferry
Bawdsey Ferry is a watercolor work on paper by Martin Hardie. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This painting is called Bawdsey Ferry.
It was created by Martin Hardie around 1940.
The painting is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where Martin Hardie actually worked, which is a pretty interesting connection - he was a keeper in the Prints & Drawings Department.
You can learn more about this kind of art by looking at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
Bawdsey Ferry is a watercolour painting by Martin Hardie, created circa 1940, depicting the ferry at Bawdsey, Suffolk, with a view across to Felixstowe and its Martello Tower. The work is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection, where the artist had a long-standing professional affiliation.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a serene scene of Bawdsey Ferry on the River Deben, contrasting with the site's strategic military significance during both the Napoleonic Wars (symbolized by Felixstowe's Martello Tower) and World War II (as home to a key Chain Home radar station).
Technique & Style
While specific technical details of the painting are not highlighted, as a watercolour, it reflects Hardie's skill in a medium often associated with the Recording Britain project, for which he contributed several works, now housed at the V&A.
History & Provenance
Martin Hardie, better known for his roles as writer, art historian, and Keeper of the Prints & Drawings Department at the V&A (1921 onwards), personally donated Bawdsey Ferry to the museum, establishing its direct lineage and current location.
Context
Created around 1940, the painting situates itself within the Recording Britain project, a wartime initiative documenting the nation's landscape. Hardie's dual role as artist and V&A professional deeply intertwines his work with the museum's collections and historical context.
Legacy
Bawdsey Ferry's legacy is intertwined with Hardie's broader contributions to British art history, more so than as a standalone artistic achievement. It remains a part of the V&A's holdings, reflecting both the artist's career and the museum's wartime collecting initiatives.
Artist & collection
Artist
Martin Hardie (1875–1952) was a painter in watercolour, printmaker, art historian and museum curator.
