Artwork
Blue Bell Bank, Sutherland Road, Longton
Blue Bell Bank, Sutherland Road, Longton is a watercolor work on paper by the Social Realist artist Puller. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Blue Bell Bank, Sutherland Road, Longton is a 1943 watercolour by Puller, created as part of the 'Recording Britain' project. It depicts an industrial scene in Longton, featuring kilns and factory buildings.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a row of old brick industrial buildings with tall chimneys, set against a pale sky and a snowy landscape. A frozen waterway and dock or ramp are visible in the foreground, capturing a moment in the life of a wartime industrial area.
Technique & Style
Puller used loose, quick brushstrokes to convey texture and unevenness, with a muted palette dominated by earthy browns and grays, and a hint of blue in the sky.
History & Provenance
Commissioned as part of the 'Recording Britain' scheme, led by Sir Kenneth Clark, to document landscapes and industries at risk from wartime damage. The work is signed and dated, and is part of a collection of topographical watercolours produced between 1940 and 1943.
Artist & collection
Thorne Colliery
Wedgwood Works, Etruria
Hall Farm, Leinthall Earls
Bethesda Methodist Chapel and Churchyard, Hanley, Staffordshire
The Potteries, Tunstall
Tile Kilns
General view of Hanley and Burslem, from near Wolstanton
Old Warehouse, Ashbourne
Culver House, Malmesbury
Country Street in Alouette
The Mill, Stone
House at Easingwold