‘Morning’ was created by artist Isabel Codrington (1874-1943). Born in Bydown, Devon, she came from an artistic family and entered the Royal Academy School of Art aged just 15.
Codrington was best known for her paintings of ‘gypsies, hawkers and portraits of peasants’. Accessioned in 1934, this painting is typical of her work and highlights her mastery of light and shadow.
‘Morning’ depicts a woman lying asleep in a simple metal bed. Her left arm outstretches towards the floor while her right clutches the sheets. The room is tatty and cluttered. Next to her bed is a simple wooden chair covered in her discarded clothing and a melted candlestick.
In the foreground, morning light from an out-of-shot window streams into the room. A breakfast table is laden with bread, cucumber, a bowl of tomatoes, a half-read newspaper, and a glass of water.
Recently, Codrington’s painting inspired a new print by Paula Youens. Created in the midst of the pandemic, Youen reinterpreted ‘Morning’ for the modern era. She changed the sleeping figure into an NHS worker with an iPad in her hand and the remains of a takeaway. Youen’s piece was displayed in the Local Art Show 2020. The exhibition featured a range of work by Double Elephant Print Workshop.
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