Hambling first saw a bullfight in 1977 in Madrid which had a profound impact on her. The subject matter “bubbled away quietly inside her,” until she decided to pursue it properly. So in 1985 she went to Barcelona to watch bullfighting again, and was struck by the idea that the bull enters the ring proud, powerful and free, but during the course of the short fight is weakened and humiliated. As a result of this, the painting depicts four stages of the bull transforming from a powerful animal, to being tormented, struck and eventually falling to the ground. The painting is intentionally morbid, as to focus on the brutish side of human nature.

George Reason’s House with a Yellow Door was painted in 1967, and it shows the façade of a building in Swindon’s Old Town. Amazingly the building itself hasn’t changed much, though the door has been painted black. But certainly much of the architectural detail is similar, including the decorative columns, the rounded arch above the door, the mouldings above windows, the wrought iron banister and of course the door itself.

And it’s a lovely scene to be able to reminisce over, as Reason has captured it as if on a bright day, with the sun hitting the stone, the steps and the railings.

This piece shows a teasel plant leaning against a window at night, from the inside of his studio in Paddington by the Regents Canal. The location is quite significant in itself because it was in the same district as numerous other notable artists working in London at the time, including John Minton and Lucien Freud. It seems there was a very interesting artistic culture going on there. At a glance it may seem that the plant in the painting is outside the building, however, it is actually painted from the inside of Tindle's Studio, looking out into the night. This odd inside/outside dynamic makes the piece even more thought-provoking.

Sadly, we have very little information on the artwork or the artist, apart from the fact that Buttar lived from 1873-1943 and that this was one of two landscapes bought from him in 1944. This is a charming piece which gives us an incredible impression of shifting light and changing weather. On the one hand the landscape is lit by a dazzling light, but on the other, dark clouds loom and wind blows the trees which are beautifully painted with small expressive brushstrokes. The lone woman at the front of the scene, to whom we are drawn by her red shawl, could be using her umbrella to shelter from bright sunshine, or incoming rain. It is certainly a great impression of the changeable weather we’re used to experiencing here in Britain.