Beachy Head Watercolour Painting by Eric Ravilious: This striking watercolour painting dating from 1939 depicts the famous lighthouse at Beachy Head on the Seven Sisters cliffs outside Eastbourne. This moody scene was painted on a stormy day (or possibly at night) and the immense, triangular beams of pale yellow light coming from the lighthouse have an other-worldly quality. A grey road curves across the landscape lined with telegraph poles and grey clouds are gathering to the top right. Here the artist uses a restrained palette, the greys, blues and greens are muted and the rolling hillside has a stylized quality so distinctive of a Ravilious composition. The lack of people infuses this scene an emptiness and like many of his works it is mysterious and charming at the same time. 
 
Ravilious grew up in nearby Eastbourne and must have visited Beachy Head on many occasions in his youth. He was drawn back in later life to paint this dramatic and quintessentially Eanglish landscape of white cliffs and grassy, rolling hills many times. He also painted the view from inside the nearby Belle Tout Lighthouse near Birling Gap. Possibly this scene is viewed from the Belle Tout.
 
'Belle Tout Lighthouse' is also available as a Limited Edition Print from our website along with other Sussex scenes including 'Newt Pond' painting, 'Interior at Furlongs' and 'SS Brighton Leaving Newhaven Harbour' prints. 
 
If you would like to learn more about this beguiling artist please visit our Eric Ravilious Blog. We regularly post new essays about his life, work and inspirations. Our latest post examines the recently discovered watercolour 'Mackerel Sky', now on display at the Hastings Contemporary Gallery in Sussex.  
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We supply Limited Edition Eric Ravilious Prints to art galleries, shops and picture framing studios all over the UK and beyond. Trade enquiries are welcome. Please email us for our trade pricelist.