London in the 50s, Battersea Power Station, a steam tug pulling a coal barge.

About a steam tug pulling a coal barge

For me, this painting evokes that very unique feel of London first thing in the morning.

This painting was created sometime before 2008 and is based on an image my dad found in a newspaper cutting. Steam tug pulling a coal barge is executed in acrylic on plywood.

Battersea Power Station was a coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Nine Elms, Battersea, an inner-city district of South West London. It is one of the largest brick buildings in the world and is notable for its original, lavish Art Deco interior fittings and decor.

Battersea A Power Station was built in the 1930s, with Battersea B Power Station to the east in the 1950s. The two stations were built to a nearly identical design. This gives it the recognisable four-chimney layout. Battersea Power Station’s celebrity owes a lot to pop culture references. For example, the cover art of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album “Animals” and  the 1965 Beatles’ film “Help!”

Battersea Power Station forms the backdrop for a painting which focuses on the coal barge pulled by a steam tug passing in front of it.

This painting is signed in the bottom right-hand corner in my father’s usual style.

Full view of a steam tug pulling a coal barge