Artwork
Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells
Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells is a watercolor work on paper by Hooper. It dates from 1942 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells is a 1942 watercolour painting by Hooper, created as part of the Recording Britain collection, a wartime project documenting British topography.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a shop front in Tunbridge Wells, advertising books and stationery, with a figure in a red coat standing near a lamppost, capturing a moment in a market town scene.
Technique & Style
The watercolour features loose, expressive brushstrokes and a mix of light and dark colours, creating a sense of depth and conveying the atmosphere of the scene, with predominantly grey buildings accented by green, brown, and red.
History & Provenance
Commissioned between 1940 and 1943, this work is one of over 1,500 produced by 97 artists for the Recording Britain collection, funded by the Pilgrim Trust and directed by Sir Kenneth Clark.
Context
The Recording Britain initiative aimed to document scenes of national identity, such as market towns and historic buildings, during a time of war, preserving a visual record of Britain's cultural heritage.
Artist & collection
Artist
This artist painted quiet streets and brick buildings in watercolor during the early 1940s.
