While Langley was an accomplished oil painter he painted predominantly in watercolours, portraying scenes of everyday life in Newlyn and highlighting the hardships that were common during his lifetime. Time Moveth Not is a portrait of a local woman, believed to be Grace Kelynack. Rendered with skill and sensitivity, the work evidences the powers of observation that led to Langley's election to the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour. The picture was purchased from the estate of Roland and Beryln Middleton, a couple from Kinver in the West Hidlands, who acquired the picture at auction in the early 1950s. Until the mid-1990s it was thought to be lost, until the Middletons chanced upon Penlee House and revealed its whereabouts.

Provenance

Provenance: Private collection; acquired by Mr & Mrs Middleton, 1950s; by descent to vendor.