'In a Shoreham Garden'
Samuel Palmer (1805-81)
1829
Ink, watercolour and bodycolour mixed with gum
Museum no. P.32-1926

Samuel Palmer taught himself to paint. He greatly admired the work of the artist and poet William Blake (1757-1827). He especially admired Blake's visionary approach and his lack of respect for conventional watercolour techniques.

The image shows an apple tree in a walled garden. The tree is in blossom heralding spring. This watercolour has a magical, powerful and dreamlike quality. Palmer painted it during his 'Shoreham Period'. He lived in Shoreham, a village in the English county of Kent, from 1826 until about 1834.