Southwark: Shop front at Elephant & Castle

Grace Lydia Golden (1904 - 1993)

Date: c.1926

Dimensions:

250 x 261 mm

Medium: Water-colour

Object number: GA1475

DescriptionThis painting was exhibited in a retrospective of the artist's work in 1979. It was described as capturing the community life at a time when greengrocers such as Bathie's shop near Elephant and Castle sold coal and coke as well as fruit and vegetables. In an interview at the time she stated "I'm very glad I did some of the buildings as they were, even though they were not anything much architecturally". In 1940 the artist commented on her fascination with street scenes, stating that this started in her youth, through her "interest in people, their pathos and their follies". Combined with an interest in architecture and perspective, she considered street scenes to be ideal subject matter in their combination of human content and pictorial design.

Culture: Female