The Land is Yours
21 September - 10 November
Harry Becker (1865-1928) was born in Colchester. He studied at the Antwerp Academy in Belgium and in the atelier of Carolus-Duran in Paris. He lived and worked in London and then returned to East Anglia where he lived and painted the rural life of Suffolk in Wenhaston & Darsham. He is buried in the churchyard at Blythburgh.
This display includes 20 prints by Becker including exceptionally rare etchings from the estate of Kenneth Green artist – Becker’s only pupil to whom Becker’s widow bequeathed half of her estate.
Many of these have never been seen before and are works on the market for the first time since Becker’s death.
All Becker’s work have been conserved, have acid free mount and are framed with low reflective UV filtering glass.
Harry Becker. Sheep by a gate, 1920s. Etching on paper.(detail).
Harry Becker. Distant Plough Team in Tree Lined Landscape, c.1910s. Etching on paper.
Top left to right - Harry Becker: 1/Plough Team, c.1920s. Etching on paper. 2/Distant Plough Team om Tree lined Landscape, c.1910s. Etching on paper.
Bottom left to right - Harry Becker 1/Ploughing, c.1910s. Etching on paper. Brown ink. 2/Field worker in Tree lined Landscape, 1910s. Etching on paper.
Thomas Hennell(1903-1945)
Hennell was a colleague of Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious who, although an official war artist is now almost forgotten. Although he was based predominantly in Kent, these exceedingly rare drawings offered for sale were completed in North West Essex and Suffolk whilst he was staying with his friend Ravilious.
On Ravilious’ death he took up his post of war artist in Iceland in 1943 and in 1945 he travelled to Burma where he painted celebrations of Victory in Europe. He then witnessed the surrender of Singapore before travelling to Indonesia where he was captured by nationalist fighters and, tragically, is presumed to have been killed.
His delicate ink on paper illustrations in books by CH Warren and HJ Massingham – The Land is Yours - capture the final moments of the rural landscape being worked by hand and with a careful understanding of tradition. The images offer a pre-cursor to Adrian Bell’s use of Becker to illustrate his famous Suffolk trilogy.
Hennell’s drawings have been conserved, have acid free mount and are framed with low reflective UV filtering glass.
Other images in our Black & White show include ink drawings by Christian Aldridge and works by Peter Coker and Mary Potter.
Christian Aldridge. Tilt, 2019. Ink on paper.