There he committed himself to recording the hard life of farm workers and the last days of the ancient rural farming system. Becker’s unembellished depictions of Suffolk, which he spent the remainder of his life painting, are much admired by collectors.
A sell-out collection of etchings and lithographs from this period in Suffolk was offered at Cheffins (22.5% buyer's premium) on September 11. The 17 lots, which totalled £8260, were assembled by the late artist Kenneth Green (1905-86) and featured scenes of rural labour such as pea topping, potato digging and sheep feeding.
Among them was this 10x 12½in (26 x 32cm) etching Lunch break in the fields, pictured above. Offered together with a lithograph of workers scything, the lot made £460 against a £200-300 estimate.
