Artwork
Penclawdd, Gower, Glamorganshire
Penclawdd, Gower, Glamorganshire is a watercolor work on paper by Mona Moore. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Penclawdd, Gower, Glamorganshire is a 1940 watercolour by Mona Moore, capturing the serene Penclawdd estuary in Glamorganshire. The scene unfolds across a vast, open space, with a muddy shore, shallow water, and a pale sky hinting at storm clouds, yet maintaining a calm atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork depicts local women leading donkeys laden with cockle shells across the sands, set against the backdrop of a coastal landscape with distant boats and a church steeple. This composition highlights the everyday life of cockle harvesting in the region.
Technique & Style
Moore employs loose brushstrokes in this watercolour, allowing light and colour to blend softly, which contributes to the overall calm mood of the piece.
History & Provenance
Created for the Recording Britain collection (1940-1943), this work was part of a wartime initiative by the Committee for the Employment of Artists in Wartime, funded by the Pilgrim Trust and overseen by Sir Kenneth Clark. The project aimed to document Britain's changing landscape during WWII.
Context
As part of the Recording Britain scheme, Penclawdd, Gower, Glamorganshire reflects the effort to preserve images of British industries and landscapes threatened by wartime destruction and social change.
Legacy
The painting is now part of a significant collection, currently administered by the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it is available for public viewing.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mona Moore painted quiet watercolours of Welsh villages and coastline in the 1940s.
Ddu-Allt, Tan-y-Bwlch, Merionethshire
Fishermen's Almshouses, Great Yarmouth
Old Mill, Clynne Valley, Gower, Glamorganshire
Oxwich Bay and Village, Gower, Glamorganshire
Oystermouth Castle, Gower, Glamorganshire
18th Century Houses, South Quay, Great Yarmouth
Oxwich, Gower, Glamorganshire
Penrice Village, Gower, Glamorganshire
