Edward John Gregory was a British painter and watercolourist associated with late Victorian genre and figure painting. Born in Southampton, he studied at the South Kensington Art School and briefly at the Royal Academy Schools, and later became President of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and was awarded medals at several international exhibitions. Gregory is best known for his large oil painting Boulter’s Lock, Sunday Afternoon, completed after many years of work and now in Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight. Though he also produced numerous watercolours and related compositions exploring similar themes of leisure, social observation, and modern life.

This watercolour depicts a lively riverside scene at a lock on the Thames, animated by figures in boats and on the banks, with carefully observed detail and a strong sense of narrative. The composition conveys the atmosphere of a popular Sunday outing, balancing the bustle of activity with the gentler rhythms of water, light, and foliage. Painted with delicacy and control, the work demonstrates Gregory’s skill as a watercolourist and his interest in contemporary leisure.