Artwork
Richmond Golf Club, Sudbrook Park
Richmond Golf Club, Sudbrook Park is a watercolor work on paper by John Sanderson Sanderson-Wells. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. John Sanderson’s watercolour presents a tranquil view of Richmond Golf Club within Sudbrook Park.
About this work
Overview
The composition captures a tree‑lined lane that leads toward a classical clubhouse, its columns partially obscured by foliage.
John Sanderson’s watercolour presents a tranquil view of Richmond Golf Club within Sudbrook Park. The composition captures a tree‑lined lane that leads toward a classical clubhouse, its columns partially obscured by foliage. Figures on horseback and a pedestrian with a dog add a sense of everyday leisure, while the muted palette of greens, yellows and pale blues conveys a calm, early‑morning atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The work records a typical scene of recreational life in an English country park, emphasizing the integration of sport, architecture, and natural landscape. By foregrounding ordinary activity rather than dramatic events, the painting reflects a quiet continuity of local tradition amid the broader uncertainties of its era.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, Sanderson allows the paper’s surface to remain visible, creating a light, sketch‑like effect. Loose brushwork and soft washes produce atmospheric depth, while restrained detail highlights the main elements—the trees, the clubhouse, and the figures—without overwhelming the composition.
History & Provenance
Created in 1940, the piece was commissioned for the Recording Britain project, an initiative organized by the Committee for the Employment of Artists in Wartime. The scheme, overseen by Sir Kenneth Clark, sought to document British landscapes and heritage threatened by wartime damage and post‑war development. The work remains part of the national collection assembled through this effort.
Context
Recording Britain gathered over 1,500 works from 97 artists, focusing on rural scenes, historic structures, and country estates across England. Sanderson’s contribution aligns with the project’s aim to preserve visual records of places considered at risk, offering a snapshot of pre‑war English countryside life that might otherwise have been lost.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Sanderson Sanderson-Wells
John Sanderson-Wells painted quiet watercolor scenes of London’s riverside in the 1940s.
Pitt Place, Epsom, the house of Mr. Digby Neave
Petworth House from the Park
Famars, near Valenciennes
Entrance to Ramsbury Manor
Bignor Park, Sussex
A cottage with a red-tiled roof, by a wood
Cannons Park, Edgware; from the Tennis Courts
Herstmonceux Castle
Seckford Hall, Bealings Magna (Garden Front)
Stone Dean, Jordans, Buckinghamshire