Painting during lockdown by John Barrett

John completed several paintings during lockdown including this one done with acrylics of a previous ‘lockdown’.

“Plague Cottage, Landbeach. We have known this cottage for a long time. [Sally] My wife was born and brought up in Landbeach and lived in Manor Farm which is just along the road from Plague Cottage, parts of which go back to the start of the 17th Century. Local legend is that two elderly ladies fled from London during the Great Plague of 1665/6 and came to live in the house. Unknowingly, they brought the plague with them, became ill and died., The only person to visit them during their illness was the Rector of Landbeach, who passed the plague on to his family who, sadly, also died. The house became known as Plague House, and stood empty for some time. Sally has a picture of the cottage as she remembers it, and I have copied it in this painting, partly because I liked the picture and also because it seemed appropriate to our present situation. Recently Plague Cottage (as it is now known) has been bought and substantially renovated, so it looks quite different now, though is still recognisable as a modern version of the original. “