From the 1930s to the 1950s British art experienced a renewed interest in the Romantic which focussed on idyllic views of the British landscape and nostalgic scenes.

In 1940 the British government commissioned artists including John Craxton, Leslie Hurry, David Jones, John Minton, Paul Nash and Ceri Richards, to document lives in towns and villages across the country for a project called ‘Recording Britain.’ It was intended to boost national morale during the Second World War by celebrating the nation’s landscape and architecture.

The Neo-Romantics looked back at artists such as William Blake and Samuel Palmer but were also influenced by Picasso and surrealist artists. Key figures included Graham Sutherland, John Piper and Henry Moore.