Framed coastal view watercolour painting

This painting, signed by JH Meadowcroft is probably painted by James Henry Meadowcroft who was born and lived around the north west of Manchester (1913-1984).  The relatively small number of paintings which have appeared on the market by this artist tend to show scenes around the south Lake District, including Burton-in-Kendal and Kirkby Lonsdale, which would have been reachable by train on a day off (in 1939 James Henry was a machineman at a transparent (tracing) paper company).

 

The only dated work is a farmyard scene of 1952, and  his works have sometimes therefore been mis-dated to the 19th century, not surprisingly as the style has an aura of an earlier period.  This watercolour shows an (as yet) unidentified stretch of English coastline, possibly further up the coast from Morecambe Bay, with a distant lighthouse and cliffs lined with gulls.  The depiction of a rhythm of the cliffs and waves forming an almost geometric pattern hints at the style of the 1930s, so this may date from the pre-War era.

 

• Visible part of image approx. 27.5cm x 35cm
• Frame dimensions approx. 40cm x 47.5cm