An Artist’s Life

8
SIR ALFRED MUNNINGS
Mendham 1878 – 1959 Dedham
The ford
Signed and dated lower left: A.J. Munnings / 1908;
signed, titled and inscribed on the reverse: painted at Mendham in Suffolk
a worked up study for / a large picture in oils / A.J.M
Watercolour: 11 × 13 in / 27.9 × 33 cm
Provenance:
Acquired from the artist;
by descent in a UK private collection
Exhibited:
Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, 1908
Richard Green Gallery, for sale
This watercolour is part of The ford series (see cat. 9), which culminated
in the large oil painting of The ford shown at the Royal Academy in 1911.
In his early work, Munnings often explored compositions in watercolour
before moving on to large oil paintings, as was the case with A Suffolk
horse fair, Lavenham (cat. 1). He also found watercolours initially more
saleable among his local clientele. The present work was exhibited in 1908
at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours.
The watercolour derives from the artist’s journeys with Shrimp round
East Anglia in a gypsy caravan with an assorted collection of ponies as
models. The leading white pony Augereau is the bright focus, its coat a
complex of buff, cream and ochre lights and shadows reflecting from the
water. Munnings commented: ‘Grey horses were always my delight; my
imagination stirred at the sight of them’ 1 .
1 An Artist’s Life, p.17.