Penge, Battersea

Watercolour painting by H. Prosser Jnr depicting Penge, Battersea. 1831

The watercolour depicts a quiet rural or semi-rural scene dominated by a cluster of modest wooden buildings arranged to the sides of a winding road and next to the banks of the river. At the centre of the composition is a two-storey timber-framed house, with a red-tiled roof and chimneys. The building features 3 octagonal projecting porches and several small-paned sash windows.

To the right, partially obscured by greenery, stands a smaller outbuilding with a pitched roof and wide double doors. On the left side of the composition, in the middle distance, are additional low buildings rendered in muted ochres and greys.

In the foreground, the foreground of the river occupies the lower left corner. Beside it rises a tall wooden post topped with a square platform, possibly a signpost, adding a vertical accent to the otherwise horizontal composition.

The sky is filled with soft, billowing clouds painted in delicate washes of grey and cream. The overall palette is subdued, dominated by earthy browns, greens, and pale blues.

At the top of the image, faint handwritten text reads “Battersea Penge” (or similar).