Original Watercolour Coastal Landscape with Fishing Huts and Bike

Title: Original Watercolour Coastal Landscape with Fishing Huts and Bike
By Tony Herbert (1927-2024)
Medium: Watercolor on artists paper
Size: 11 x 15 inches
Condition: Good overall; minor corner wear and subtle warping to paper edge
Provenance: From a large private collection of this artists work, Oxford, England

Description: This evocative watercolour by British artist Tony Herbert depicts a windswept rural scene titled “Wableswick,” dated September 1994 on the reverse. Whether a variant spelling or a personal reference to Walberswick – a well-known Suffolk coastal village popular among plein air painters – the atmosphere remains unmistakably that of the East Anglian coast.

A brooding, textured sky sets the tone for this beautifully composed landscape, where dark timber buildings with red-tiled roofs nestle in the foreground, and a dirt path leads the eye toward a distant line of rooftops and boat masts. A rust-coloured bicycle, leaning casually against the front cottage, adds a touch of narrative and a pop of colour.

Executed with Herbert’s signature confidence and economy, the painting showcases his fluid control of light and form. Loose brushwork captures the wild grasses and shifting ground with immediacy, while subtle tonal transitions bring life to the overcast sky. The piece reflects Herbert’s enduring interest in British coastal life and his skill at conveying the mood of a place with minimal, expressive marks.

Ideal for collectors drawn to mid-century British landscape traditions, coastal imagery, or the unique atmospheric quality of East Anglia.