One of the gallery's more unusual works by Edward Burra, a decorated umbrella stand dating from the 1920s, is currently on display at the Jerwood Gallery, Hastings. It is included in the gallery's new exhibition, Edward Burra: A Rye View, which brings together a group of his watercolours depicting the East Sussex coastal towns of Hastings and Rye, alongside other works including prints and archive material.
Burra's family home, Springfield Lodge, was on the outskirts of Rye and Burra was a frequent visitor to Hastings throughout his life. One of the highlights of the exhibition is The Harbour, Hastings (1947) which depicts Hastings’ lively beach-launched fishing fleet, the same beach and the same fleet that the Jerwood Gallery sits next to today.
Although Burra loved to travel, he suffered with health problems from a young age, which forced him to spend periods of time recuperating at home. To help cope with the discomfort caused by chronic arthritis, Burra worked in watercolour rather than oil paints, because he found the oils too heavy for his hands.
This two-room exhibition forms part of the gallery's ‘In Focus’ series, where a work of from the Jerwood Collection is the starting point for a small-scale show. Burra’s The Churchyard, Rye, 1959-61, has been part of the Jerwood Collection since 2010.
For more information, please visit: JERWOOD GALLERY
