Who painted House on the Square, King's Lynn?

House on the Square, King's Lynn was painted by Barbara Jones in 1942.

Where can I see House on the Square, King's Lynn?

House on the Square, King's Lynn is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is House on the Square, King's Lynn?

House on the Square, King's Lynn is associated with Social Realism.

Artwork

House on the Square, King's Lynn

Barbara Jones , 1942

House on the Square, King's Lynn is a watercolor work on paper by the Social Realist artist Barbara Jones. It dates from 1942 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The unusual decoration of the facade of this house is chequered flint, a type of decoration commonly found in Norfolk.

About this work

In 1942, Barbara Jones painted the odd charm of House on the Square, King's Lynn.

In 1942, Barbara Jones painted the odd charm of House on the Square, King's Lynn. Her watercolour shows a local building with chequered flint walls. The mix of old craft and a new Neo-Classical doorway caught her eye.

Jones worked on the Recording Britain project. It saved scenes of daily life before machines took over. This house became a symbol of that change.

Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more.

Overview

A watercolour by Barbara Jones depicts a house in King’s Lynn distinguished by chequered flintwork typical of Norfolk, paired with an incongruous Neo-Classical doorway featuring Corinthian columns. The composition contrasts the building’s elaborate Tudor-style facade with the more restrained adjacent structures and a nearby timberyard. Created in the early 1940s as part of the Recording Britain project, the work documents traditional craftsmanship amid wartime mechanisation. The artist’s focus on the house reflects her interest in excessive ornamentation and the interplay between local heritage and later architectural additions.

Artist & collection

Artist

Barbara Jones

Barbara Mildred Jones (25 December 1912 – 28 August 1978) was an English artist, writer and mural painter. She is known for curating the exhibition Black Eyes and Lemonade (1951) and her book The Unsophisticated Arts (1951).