Thorpe Staithe

John Thirtle was one of the finest watercolour artists of the Norwich Society, but sadly many of his watercolours, like this one, have suffered from fading and discoloration. With its angular forms, illuminated by an all-enveloping light, this is a typical late work. It may well have been that exhibited with the Norwich Society in 1829, when the local press praised Thirtle for the 'rich harmonious tone [of] his watercolour painting'. Thirtle wrote on watercolour painting: 'Venetian Red & Indigo, the Red Predominating will do for the first wash of your Clouds - let your next shadow have more Indigo making a Grey'. The overall effect of this drawing would have been blue-grey but the indigo has faded leaving a hot red.