Sunset, New Forest

The watercolour ‘Sunset, New Forest’ shows the elegant trunks of birch trees emerging from the fern covered forest floor, bathed in a golden glow from the evening sun. 

The use of watercolour as a medium would have been considered suitable for a woman artist, who was also a wife and mother, at that time. The echoes of the long-held belief that ‘intellectual’ subjects and oil on canvas should remain the realm of male artists, whilst less ‘serious’ subjects and mediums, such as watercolour, be used by women.  

The work was more than likely painted while the artist was in Brockenhurst in Hampshire. Brokenhurst has a rich history, hosting the Lady Hardinge Hospital for Wounded Indian Soldiers during the First World War and as a secret training area for troops preparing for battle in Normandy in the Second World War. 

Marjory Whittington

Marjory Whittington was an oil and watercolour painter and etcher. Born in 1888 in Wandsworth, London as Marjory Florence Wood. Marjory was married in 1910 to fellow artist and toy manufacturer Francis Whittington, choosing to paint under her married name. The couple had two children together: Pauline and Ian.

She exhibited at the Royal Academy, Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Institute of Artists, the Fine Art Society, Grosvenor Gallery, Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts, Goupil Gallery, Walker Art Gallery, Society of Women Artists and the Paris Salon. Marjory was also an illustrator, creating illustrations for children's books as well as a member of the Royal Society of British Artists.

Marjory’s subjects tended to be landscapes and still lifes of flowers, along with her children’s book illustrations. This, along with her use of watercolour as a medium, reflects how there were still expectations that governed the subject matter and mediums used by women artists in the 20th century. Flowers, landscapes and children’s illustrations were traditionally considered more appropriate subject matter for a woman with their domestic connotations. Similarly, watercolour was often seen as a medium for sketches and painting as a pastime, rather than for ‘serious’ works of art. In 1939 she was described in public records as ‘artist painter and secretary’, implying that she was obliged to take on additional work to supplement her artistic income, once again highlighting the expectations for women and their role in art.

Marjory passed away in 1970.