Mallard, Tufted Duck and a Kingfisher at the water's edge

In 1919 Baird-Carter, Thorburn's dealer died and was succeeded by William Fraser Embleton, already known to Thorburn, for he had been apprenticed to Baird-Carter and later became his assistant. Embleton and Thorburn were to become good friends as well as successful business associates. Each fortnight Embleton would journey to Hascombe to spend the day with Thorburn and return with finished watercolours, commissions for waiting clients. Embleton was one of the favoured few allowed to sit and watch Thorburn painting, normally the studio was out of bounds to all but his wife and a handful of his closest friends. Embleton however, on his fortnightly visits, would sit behind Thorburn's left shoulder and watch the master at work.’ (J. Southern, Thorburn's Birds and Mammals, London, 1986, p. 16).