Painting of a Rainy Day in Kingston by James Aumonier

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• Painting of a Rainy Day in Kingston by James Aumonier

James Aumonier was predominantly a landscape painter.  He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1870.  Much of his work was in watercolour and he was elected to the new Watercolour Society in 1879.  Other paintings he produced included landscape scenes of Sussex, including Brighton, and Wales.

A Rainy Day in Kingston, was painted in 1883. Notice the style of the woman's dress to the left of the picture and see her reflection in the water on the ground that indicates rain.

The view is from the Portsmouth Road in Kingston, an important coaching road leading directly to the Market Place. The River Thames and Kingston Bridge can be seen on the left of the picture.  The road still follows the same route and the view is similar though some of the buildings have disappeared or have been replaced.  Visit the area yourself and find out which buildings you think were there in 1883 and which are newer.  The sails visible on the River indicate sailing barges which would have been a familiar sight here. Many wharves once occupied this area of the river where leisure activities now predominate.

This work was acquired by Kingston Museum with the help of the National Art Collections Fund in 1986.