Pencil and watercolour
h12 x w14.5cm (unframed)
h43.5 x 43cm (framed)

Provenance:
Thomson’s, Aldeburgh

Having trained as a science teacher, Wiltshire-raised Mary Newcomb married potter Godfrey Newcomb while both were staying in Walberswick. They ran Waveney Valley Farm for many years, with Mary sketching rural scenes and ceremonies and producing strikingly poetic paintings.

Although not naturalistic, Newcomb’s paintings powerfully evoke the different atmospheres and personalities within her surroundings. The simplicity of her style gives her art immediacy. Though her work is lyrical, it is also thoughtful and unusual, offering unexpected views of everyday, rural moments.

For a large part of her life, Newcomb’s paintings remained outside the world of the art establishment. It was not until 1997 that the Tate acquired one of her pieces, People Walking Amongst Small Sandhills, for its collection. Regardless of her rise in recognition, Newcomb’s style remained constant and her unique view on the world is immediately recognisable.

This small watercolour is a charming example of her work.