Derwent Reservoir recently featured in reportage on the 70th anniversary of the ‘Dam Busters’ wartime campaign, as the reservoir was used during WW2 in practice manoeuvres for the assault on the German dams.

Susan Isaac – Derwent Reservoir Dam

I was unaware of its wartime significance at the time of painting this view and had just been marvelling at the grandiose neo-gothic architecture of such a functional piece of masonry. In this perspective of the dam wall  I liked the way in which the steps, lined by their delicate wooden railings, zig zagged sharply down to the left as the massive rusticated facade marches solidly up from the right and toward one of two central towers. The wall of overspilling water is just glimpsed between the branches of the spruce trees.

The painting is at the Newfield Galleries in Newark-on-Trent.