Detail, Painted Decoration on Sanctuary Wall c. 1939

Edward Jewett made this watercolour of a painted decoration on a sanctuary wall at an unknown date. The palette of gold, teal and light green is carefully orchestrated to create a frieze of floral decoration. I imagine Jewett standing back and squinting, trying to get the balance just right. As a painter myself, I know how tricky it can be to get the colours to sing together in harmony. The challenge here is to evoke the feel of decorative painting, and the sense of ornamentation is captured in the golden vase with flowers, and swirling foliage. He’s evoking the style of botanical illustration and the movement of art nouveau. There is a sense of the artist drawing on other art forms for inspiration, such as the tradition of botanical illustration. It seems he’s creating his own conversation with the world of design. In the end, it is a reminder that artists don’t work in isolation, but are in constant dialogue with one another, across time.