IN 1913 ULRIC painted a set of 12 watercolours for a fourth series of postcards by Ruddock of Lincoln. Untypically and for the only time in his long career, he ventured to the coastal hamlets beyond Whitby. Sandsend, Runswick and Staithes each featured in 4 postcards. For his work Ulric seems to have been paid 12 guineas the following year at his usual rate of one guinea for a small watercolour. Stylistically, these works are similar to the earlier series in 1904, 1905 and 1910, though in some one can detect the more impressionistic approach and softer colours that characterised later watercolours.

The view of Staithes Beck (Cat no 1913/10) has the first appearance of the third of Ulric's trademark signatures, in which he reverted to upper case letters but retained the idiosyncratic "W". As with the earlier changes of signature, there is a temptation to ask whether Ulric was looking to reinvent himself.

Unlike Ruddock's other series, this one does not appear to have been long-lived: it does not feature in royalties paid to Ulric in 1922. This helps to explain why so few copies are to be found nowadays and sometimes fetch prices above what may be paid for an original watercolour!

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