Watercolour and wash over pencil, 36.5 by 50 cm (14 ¼ by 19 ¾ ins)

Provenance: from the artist to his friend, the painter Claughton Pellew

This fine example of John Nash’s early work was executed under the influence of his friend and fellow painter Claughton Pellew (who also owned this watercolour). Nash and Pellew had gone on a walking tour to Norfolk in 1912, a trip that helped to mould Nash as an artist – teaching him to focus on training the memory to record his subject and on the making of methodical notes of what he could see. Such works have a remarkable clarity that contrasts with his (sometimes) softer, later work. The style of his early work proved popular and at a landmark joint show at the Dorien Leigh Gallery in 1913 with his brother Paul Nash, it would be John who went on to sell the most work. Subsequent recognition would lead him to become a founder member of the London Group in 1913 and the Cumberland Market Group (alongside Robert Bevan, Harold Gilman and Charles Ginner) in 1915. The location of the present work is not explicitly identified, although it is likely to be the Chiltern landscape near Nash’s home in Buckinghamshire. We are grateful to Andrew Lambirth for his assistance.