Paintings by M Harden - but who was he or she?
Pathway near High Road, Hothfield, May 1917?
M Harden's view of Hothfield Common
Inscription on reverse of Hothfield Common painting
M Harden's own hand, but is that 1914 or 1917
Watercolour of the Walled Garden at Hothfield Place
by M Harden (no inscription on reverse)
Mr Benton's Farm, July 21st 1916 - the duck pond
"The first sketch I did alone" M Harden
Inscription on reverse of the duck pond painting by M Harden
The farm is known as Ripple Court, at Westwell
Cinder Lane, Hothfield, by M Harden June 1917
but where was Cinder Lane?
and where is Cinder Lane?
By Chris Rogers
Paintings by M Harden
Five watercolour scenes of Hothfield and Westwell were purchased by the History Society in 2011. These are signed by ‘M Harden’ but that’s not a name that we know from the village.
These were spotted in an antique shop in Rye by keen-eyed Committee member Sheila Flynn. After some negotiation these were acquired for Hothfield’s archive and we’re grateful to the dealer for lowering her price. The dealer had bought them from another antique dealer and so we don’t know where they have been during the last 100 years, nor the connection between the artist and Hothfield.
They were all painted between 1914 (or possibly 1916) to 1917. One of them is a mystery as it is entitled ‘Cinder Lane’ but we don’t know where this is.
Can you help us?
- Who was M Harden?
- Was he/she a child or an adult?
- Did he/she live in Hothfield or did he/she visit somebody in Hothfield? Or perhaps posted here during the First World War? Or recovering from the war in the hospital?
- Where is Cinder Lane ?
If you think you can help us, please get in touch by emailing hothfieldmemories@hotmail.com