Artwork
Penclawdd, Gower, Glamorganshire (Recording Britain, Welsh Counties)
Penclawdd, Gower, Glamorganshire (Recording Britain, Welsh Counties) is a watercolor work on paper by Mona Moore. It dates from 1942 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Penclawdd, Gower, Glamorganshire is a 1942 watercolour by Mona Moore, capturing a serene beach scene at Penclawdd estuary in Glamorganshire, Wales, with subtle hints of industrial presence on the horizon.
Subject & Meaning
The painting contrasts a peaceful, nearly deserted beach with distant industrial elements, reflecting the complex interplay between natural beauty and wartime-era industrial activity in a region vulnerable to change.
Technique & Style
Moore employed soft, muted colors and light washes to evoke a sense of calm and spontaneity, suggesting an on-site sketch approach with minimal detail, emphasizing atmosphere over precision.
History & Provenance
Created for the Recording Britain project (1942), a wartime initiative funded by the Pilgrim Trust, aimed at documenting Britain's changing landscape and national identity amidst WWII, with limited Welsh representation.
Context
Part of a broader effort to preserve visual records of at-risk locations and traditions during WWII, this work sits within a collection focusing primarily on English landscapes, with select inclusions from four Welsh counties.
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
Penclawdd, Gower, Glamorganshire
