In the shadow of the Cotswold Hills, Eric Tucker executed this watercolour of the picturesque village of Hook Norton en plein air. He likely completed it during a Christmas walk while visiting his sister in Oxfordshire, accompanied by his mother and stepfather. The watercolour is unmistakably a winter scene: the trees are predominantly bare, punctuated only by evergreens. The sky is also crisp and coldly rendered, while the subtle reds and yellows along the horizon suggest the approach of sunrise or sunset.

In our side-by-side comparison with the village today (fig. 1), it is clear that Tucker’s depiction of Down End remains largely faithful. The Old Malt Cottage at the top of the road is recognisable, with its honey-coloured limestone and distinctive thatched roof. Tucker also captures the grassy embankments, the telegraph pole at the triangular junction and the small window of the building on the left. Nevertheless, he introduces his own artistic interpretation, subtly compressing space and angling the buildings towards the viewer. This multi-view approach brings out the village’s character, rather than aiming for a rigid naturalism.