Towner's England: A Vanishing Landscape

0:00UK headlines in two minutes or less. You're tuned in to UK News today, brought to you by NordVPN. Fast, reliable online privacy. Links in the episode description. Donald Towner was a painter who captured the English countryside and early 20th century London just before modernism took hold. Born in Eastbourne in 1903, he spent six decades in Hampstead, painting its terraces and trees. A new exhibition at Berghaus showcases his interwar and post-war works, highlighting his deep sense of heritage and changing landscapes. He grew up in a family of nature lovers, exploring the south-downs and coastal marshes as a child. Towner started drawing young, later studying at the Eastbourne School of Art, where he met fellow artist Eric Ravilius. They trained together at the Royal College of Art in 1923, shifting from watercolors to oils amid urban architecture classes. In the 1920s, Towner set up a studio in Mornington Cresson before moving to Hampstead with his mother.

1:00They bought a home on Holly Hill for 1,750 pounds, later shifting to church row for easier access. There, he painted secluded city views for rooftops and empty windows, including Coving Garden and Thames Barges. His garden became a favorite subject, filled with old English roses and thriving fruit trees. Local commissions rolled in, Mike a large Hampstead mural for a participatory owner, using old studies of ponds and chapels. In his 1970s autobiography, Towner reflected on a turbulent century of art styles against natures and during cycles. Berghausen, Northwest 3, displays these pieces until December 13, open Wednesdays through Fridays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free entry. His art reminds us of a vanishing England worth savoring.