This watercolour is a recent personal acquisition. Watch this short video to see some of its details. Beneath the video I give a description of it, including a large image, a description of Lutyens' Cenotaph, and a short biography of Maude Parker, the artist.
This above watercolour by Maude Parker, signed bottom right, depicts the Cenotaph from the South. It is particularly relevant at this time of year.
Only watercolours were used. Its dimensions are just under those of an A4 page.
Our eyes are instantly drawn to the red of Union Flag, by far the warmest and brightest colour on the page. The reflection of the monument in the pools of water is visual pathetic fallacy. Standing to the right of the Cenotaph is a small blue figure. Standing with his head bowed, he is mourning. On the far left is the Treasury building and the then Foreign Office building. Fading into the background, we can see the Old War Office building: its domes used to disguise its peculiar shape.
The Cenotaph, the U.K.’s official war memorial, designed by Edwin Lutyens, and built between 1919 and 1920 from Portland stone, is representative of every local village war memorial. A sculpted empty tomb is placed onto the monument’s gradually diminishing tiers.
Born in Birmingham in 1888, Maude Parker lived in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Cornwall during her life. Notable for her watercolours, she exhibited at many galleries, including the Royal Academy.
The Cenotaph by Maude Parker — Booklet: issuu.com/godtres/docs/cenotaph
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