The Hanging Gardens, 1929

Walter Sickert's etching depicts the rear garden wall of his Islington studio in Noel Road, where he lived and worked between 1924 and 1931.

The German-born artist settled in London in 1868 and went on to study at the Slade School of Art. A founding member of the Camden Town Group in 1911, Sickert and his followers drew heavily on London for much of their subject matter. Sickert was fascinated by the culture of pubs, music halls, and cheap lodging houses. He depicted cities, including Dieppe and Venice, in much of his work.

This print was produced at a time when Sickert was recovering from several personal crises. Etching was a favourite medium and this print is typical of his distinctive style, with abbreviated hatching and little or no flowing line.