During the late 1940s and early 1950s, having worked as a
war-time artist, Piper largely turned away from depicting celebrated architectural
landmarks, only occasionally choosing to depict local chapels and churches.
Instead, he sought out the remote and dramatic landscape of north Wales. Piper
became absorbed by the geology of the landscape, fascinated by the colours and
textures of the terrain’s materials, and developed an acute understanding of
the impact of weather and conditions and times of day on such.

Piper also studied the construction of local walls, noting
masonry methods and the varying types of local stone used. Within this work,
Piper delicately blends the built environment with the surrounding landscape. Painted
during a holiday in the Nant Ffrancon Valley in Snowdonia, the work unites the
neo-Romantic sensibility of Piper’s wartime paintings with his later
exploration of the untamed Welsh landscape. It also demonstrates his
distinctive handling of watercolour, gouache, and ink: the sombre tonal palette
reflects the mood of post-war Britain, while flashes of colour anticipate the
more expressive direction his work would soon take.