The fountain, Blickling Hall, Blickling, Norfolk

Blickling Hall was the great seat of Sir Henry Hobart, 1st Bt. (d.1625), who succeeded Thomas Coke as Chief Justice. The architect was Robert Lyminge, the builder of Hatfield. The garden was designed by W.E. Nesfield and Sir Matthew Wyatt and the fountain in the present watercolour is from Oxnead and dates from the 17th century. It was rented by the same family from 1921-29 and Beatrice Parsons spent one month each summer painting the gardens. The present watercolour may be one of a collection that remained in the family until 1985 when sold Christie's New York, 30 October 1985.

Beatrice Parsons specialised in pictures of old English gardens, she worked mainly for private patrons in England, France and also North Africa.