Flask Walk, Hampstead

Charles Ginner 04/03/1878 - 6/01/1952

Summary

A wintry scene showing a narrow, snow-lined street dotted with figures, seen from a high vantage point. In the left and right foreground are tall brick buildings, which frame the view. At street-level, the buildings house shops and tea rooms, each with signs suspended from their walls; the sign in the right bottom corner, although only partially visible, reads: 'Commen / Dinin / Room / Frank'. Many of the buildings are several storeys high with their roofs and chimney stacks laden with snow. The figures populating the scene are all dressed in long, heavy coats and winter hats. At the end of the street, the junction appears to fork in several directions with the road ahead running downhill. The sky is monochrome as if heavy with snow. It is all very simplistically painted.

Display Label

Flask Walk, Hampstead 1922 Charles Ginner 1878-1952 Oil on canvas Ginner was a member of the Camden Town Group, whose subjects were drawn from everyday life. In common with Valette and Lowry in the 1920s, Ginner uses low tones and simplified figures in this work to suggest an ordinary street scene in winter. Their similarity of approach indicates how the work of both Lowry and Valette should be viewed in a broad national context. Purchased 1922.5