Burlington Arms in 1920
Watercolour painting by Ethel Woolmer depicting Burlington Arms, Chiswick. 1920.
The watercolour depicts a scene occurring just outside the Burlington Arms, a traditional public house situated within the leafy environs of Chiswick. The main focus of the watercolour is the reunion of the children in the foreground and the one running towards them across the road.
The two-storey building is depicted with a sloping red-tiled roof, whitewashed walls, and green-trimmed sash windows, all executed with soft, fluid brushwork. The red entrance to the pub stand out as a focal point, drawing the viewer’s eye . Two human figures are loosely sketched near the doorway. A child is sketched crossing the road, wearing a blue dress and a white apron.
In the foreground, two children are shown from behind, standing on the pavement and gazing across the road toward the pub. The smaller one wears a wide-brimmed hat, and a long brownish coat. The taller one wears a blue long skirt and a red top, while lighting her arms to motion the child crossing the road to join them.
The street curves gently to the right, leading into a background of trees and partially obscured buildings, which suggest the continuation of village life beyond the frame. A solitary lamppost stands near the centre, subtly dividing the composition and adding a vertical counterpoint to the horizontal sweep of the architecture. at the end of the street we can see a glimpse of the blue river and a white sail of a boat cruising its waters.
Artist Biography
Ethel Anne Woolmer ASWA (1863–1944) British Painter, Illustrator, and Art Educator Born in Pimlico, London, Ethel Woolmer was the daughter of a surgeon and pursued artistic training from a young age, same as her sister Dora. She studied at a London art school, possibly the Royal Academy Schools in Kensington. According to the 1901 census she lived at 7 Cranbourne Court, Battersea in Albert Bridge Road, and she is identified as both an artist and illustrator. In 1907, Woolmer was elected an Associate Member of the Society of Women Artists (ASWA), a recognition of her growing reputation. By 1911, she resided at 51 Albert Bridge Road, London SW11, in a spacious home shared with her sister and supported by domestic staff. At this time, she was also teaching art, balancing education with her own creative practice. She never married and passed away in Dartford, Kent, in 1944.
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