16 Urban Paintings Of London That We Want To Own

Will Noble
By Will Noble Last edited 61 months ago
16 Urban Paintings Of London That We Want To Own

Looking at Doreen Fletcher's candid landscapes of London — a flicker of Ravilious here, a touch of Canaletto there, plenty of drizzle all over the place — it's a stretch to imagine she could ever have hung up her paint brushes. That's precisely what she did though; retiring in 2004, discouraged by a lack of interest in her work, despite having quite brilliantly captured the worn, pre-gentrified streets of east London and beyond.

Tyre Shop, Salmon Lane (2017)

Now — thanks to the intervention of east Londoner blogger The Gentle Author — Fletcher is working once more. A retrospective at Nunnery Gallery in Bow displays paintings spanning over three decades — from 1983, up to today's city. Fittingly, it's curated by The Gentle Author.

Mile End Park with Canal (1986)

St George in the East (1991):

Salmon Lane in the Rain (1987):

The Cottage (2017):

The Pubali Cafe, Commercial Road, Limehouse (1996):

Bus Stop (1983):

Commercial Road in the snow, Limehouse:

Bartlett Park:

Commercial Road, Whitsunday (1989):

Corner Shop, Canning Town (1994):

Fishmongers, Commercial Road (2003):

Rene's Cafe (1986):

Laundrette, Ben Jonson Road, Bow (1983):

Ragged School Museum (2017):

Paddington Station at Night (1992):

Portrait of Doreen Fletcher in her Studio (photo by Stuart Freedman).

Doreen Fletcher | A Retrospective, Nunnery Gallery, 181 Bow Road, E3 2SJ, until 24 March (Tues-Sun). Free entry.

Last Updated 04 February 2019