London, 20 February – 8 March 2008.




At the outbreak of the Second World War, the influential art historian Sir Kenneth Clark initiated an ambitious extension of the Official War Artist scheme, calling it 'Recording Britain'.

This exhibition is in the spirit of that project. It aims to encapsulate the variety and beauty of Britain as it changed throughout the century, and highlight the renaissance in landscape painting that occurred during the period.

The exhibition includes over two hundred watercolours, oils, drawings, etchings, and photographs by some of the great artists of twentieth century, many of whom were involved in 'Recording Britain'.

The original scheme commissioned a selection of the very best British artists to produce over 1500 watercolours and drawings, so creating a unique archive designed to document traditional Britain and celebrate the traditional medium of watercolour. The project had an element of urgency too, as Britain's landscape faced the double threat of mass development and impending world war.

In this exhibition, of particular note will be a large group of watercolours by the artist Charles Knight. Inspired by the work of John Sell Cotman, Knight became the principal artist of the Recording Britain scheme leading Sir Kenneth Clark to describe him as the 'jewel in the crown'.

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Chris Beetles Ltd
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St James's
London SW1Y 6QB
Telephone: 020 7839 7551
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e-mail: gallery@chrisbeetles.com
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