Mill in Essex about 1799 Thomas Girtin 1775-1802 Pencil, watercolour and bodycolour on laid paper Lent from a Private Collection

Room 5 Mill in Essex Even though this watercolour has faded, it is still possible to appreciate the eccentric nature of the composition. Girtin has flouted contemporary conventions by cutting two of the sails by the edge of the paper in a striking and unusual way. The relationship between the mill and the farm buildings in a featureless landscape is also unconventional.