Balcony view, Iping Church
- Artist: Ivon Hitchens
- Date: (circa) 1943
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is “Balcony view, Iping Church” by Ivon Hitchens. After his London home was bombed in 1940, Hitchens settled in West Sussex, and this oil on canvas from about 1943 captures the quiet of his new surroundings amid the turmoil of war. The painting is set on a balcony, looking out toward the church that looms in the distance. A door opens right in the middle of the frame, cutting the canvas in two distinct halves. On the left, the sky is heavy and dark, clouds swirling as if echoing the anxiety of the times. On the right, the light spills through the glass, turning the scene bright and almost hopeful. It’s a clever visual metaphor for the contrast between danger and safety, darkness and light.
In the foreground, a simple vase of poppies sits on the balcony railing. Poppies are an iconic symbol of remembrance, and their bright red color against the muted background feels almost like a quiet act of defiance against the war’s bleakness. Hitchens was known for blending everyday scenes with subtle symbolism, and here he turns a mundane balcony view into a meditation on resilience. The brushwork is loose yet deliberate, the palette dominated by earthy tones that give the piece a grounded, almost nostalgic feel. Even though it was painted during WWII, there’s a sense of calm and steadiness that invites the viewer to pause and reflect.
See it in person
Balcony view, Iping Church hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
