Pen Ponds, Richmond Park

The subject of this work is the north end of the smaller of the two Pen Ponds in Richmond Park, London. These simple nature studies are usually dated early in Barrett's career. Later in his life, in his 'Theory and Practice of Water Colour Painting' (1840), Barret emphasised the usefulness of such nature studies when composing picturesque paintings. He may have been referring to studies like this one when he wrote that passage.