Description

The War of The Roses is a humorous and sharply observed Northern narrative painting exploring friendship, rivalry and the fragile nature of British civility.

Part of Sue Dewhurst’s acclaimed Owd Lasses series, the painting follows two once inseparable neighbours — both called Rose — whose decades-long friendship collapses spectacularly after a disagreement involving pickled cabbage at a WI gathering.

One from Yorkshire and one from Lancashire, the women once shared everything: gardening tips, tennis club committees, suburban aspirations and the quiet pride that came with their husbands’ careers. Beneath the surface, however, simmered the deep-rooted tribal loyalties and social competitiveness woven into English regional identity. Check out their rose decorations on their trolley wheels!

Set amongst richly painted suburban rose gardens, the artwork balances comedy with subtle social observation. What begins as a petty disagreement gradually hints at something deeper — questions of belonging, class, rivalry and the stories people inherit from the places they come from.

Rendered in vivid colour and Sue Dewhurst’s distinctive figurative narrative style, the painting captures the humour, melancholy and absurdity of ordinary British life. Like much of the Owd Lasses series, it invites viewers to laugh first before recognising the emotional truths underneath.

Ideal for collectors of Northern art, contemporary British narrative painting and storytelling artwork rooted in memory, humour and social history.

Sue Dewhurst is a contemporary British artist whose narrative paintings explore working-class life, social history and overlooked British stories through humour and figurative storytelling. Her Owd Lasses series combines emotional depth, Northern identity and sharp observational wit to create highly distinctive contemporary British artworks.

Click here to see more of The Owd Lasses series

• Original narrative painting by British artist Sue Dewhurst
• Part of the acclaimed Owd Lasses storytelling series
• Explores friendship, rivalry and Northern identity
• Inspired by Yorkshire and Lancashire social culture
• Combines humour, social observation and emotional storytelling
• Features Sue Dewhurst’s signature figurative narrative style
• Presented in a hand-painted wooden shadow frame
• Includes original typed caption mounted onto the frame
• Accompanied by printed back story card
• A unique conversation piece rooted in British social history
• Ideal for collectors of Northern art and contemporary narrative painting
• Ready to hang immediately