The Kitchen at Elmswell Hall, York
Watercolour
1834 (painted)
1834 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Mary Ellen Best (1809-1891) was a highly skilled watercolourist. She specialised in views of domestic interiors and designed some herself. The depiction of this kind of interior in such accurate detail was quite unusual at this period. Some of the arrangements seem to be a bit makeshift, particularly the way the dough trough is supported by a chair. The chairs look as if they date from the mid 18th century. They were probably relegated to the servants’ area when the dining room of the Manor was more fashionably decorated. The woman is probably the cook, one of a number of servants tending a wealthy family.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Watercolour |
| Brief description | Watercolour, The Kitchen at Elmswell Hall, [Elmswell Manor House], Yorks. by Mary Ellen Best, 1834. |
| Physical description | Brightly coloured watercolour view of a farm house kitchen, showing a woman inspecting bread dough rising in a dough trough, which is supported by a chair. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | unique |
| Marks and inscriptions | Mary Ellen Best May 1834 (Signature; date; Front, on rafter, top right) |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Sold as lot 205, Sotheby's New York Sale, 21/01/1983 |
| Historical context | Best was a highly skilled watercolourist and specialised in domestic interiors, including ones she had designed herself. The depiction of this kind of interior in such accurate detail was quite unusual at this period. Some of the arrangements are shown as a bit makeshift, particularly the way the dough trough is supported by a chair. The bundle on the dresser on the right may be a previous batch of dough proving under a cloth, with books, a jug and an up-turned plate placed to restrain it. The chairs look as if they are mid 18th century, finally relegated to the servants' area from the more fashionably decorated dining room of the Manor. The woman is probably the cook, one of a number of servants tending a wealthy family. |
| Production | Elmswell Manor House, Little Driffield, Yorks |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | Mary Ellen Best (1809-1891) was a highly skilled watercolourist. She specialised in views of domestic interiors and designed some herself. The depiction of this kind of interior in such accurate detail was quite unusual at this period. Some of the arrangements seem to be a bit makeshift, particularly the way the dough trough is supported by a chair. The chairs look as if they date from the mid 18th century. They were probably relegated to the servants’ area when the dining room of the Manor was more fashionably decorated. The woman is probably the cook, one of a number of servants tending a wealthy family. |
| Bibliographic reference | The world of Mary Ellen Best. Caroline Davidson. 1985. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | P.11-1983 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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