MORE than 50 paintings, drawings and sketches by two of the country’s leading northern artists have gone on show at The Bowes Museum.
Kith and Kinship: Norman Cornish and LS Lowry includes 35 rarely or previously unseen artworks, including a newly-discovered Cornish self-portrait which was revealed by conservator Jon Old during work on the painting Bar Scene.
Norman Cornish (1919-2014) was born, raised and worked as a miner in Spennymoor before becoming a professional artist.
LS Lowry (1887-1976) was born in the north west, but frequently took breaks from his work as a rent collector to visit Berwick-upon-Tweed and Sunderland to paint.
The new self-portrait was unveiled by Norman Cornish’s son John during a preview of the exhibition.
He said: “The picture was a bar scene owned by Durham County Council. They had had it for quite a while and the conservator had that ‘wow’ moment. He was the first person in decades to see it.”
Of the self-portrait, he said: “It is my father just playing around a little bit. It is monotone, it is very quick and quite powerful.
“He obviously thought ‘I will have a stab at a portrait today and that’s okay’ then turned over to do something else, which is exactly the way he used to work.”
Mr Cornish described the Kith and Kinship exhibition as “fabulous”.
He added: “You have got two artists who were very similar in what they painted – industrial landscapes, communities, people’s lives – and they both felt very deeply about art. My father said artists must feel deeply and sincerely about what they are painting, otherwise, why bother?”
Vicky Sturrs, director of programmes and collections at The Bowes Museum added: “Both Cornish and Lowry were extraordinary storytellers of their time – recording and depicting the lives of the people in their communities as well as the north east’s familiar landscapes in scenes that we can all relate to.
“Visitors will be greeted by self-portraits from each artist – including the newly discovered Cornish self-portrait – alongside a pencil drawing of the majestic Stone Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the two artists exhibited together for more than 15 years.
“This really sets the scene for Kith and Kinship, showing the long relationship they shared.”
She added: “Cornish and Lowry had a beautiful way of capturing everyday scenes associated with the north, but our exhibition will also showcase a different side of the region that is perhaps unexpected, which we hope visitors will really enjoy.”
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey from meeting both artists through their self-portraits to seeing their perceptions of the different environments they encountered.
The artworks span different themes, from community and working life, to the role of women.
Hannah Fox, executive director of The Bowes Museum said: “Cornish and Lowry capture life and its nuances in a way that everyone can understand and connect with.
“Making art accessible is hugely important, and we hope that displaying more than 50 works showing all walks of life, different landscapes and celebrating the ordinary and the extraordinary, will not only capture the imagination of our visitors, but also show how everyone can get involved with art and creativity.”
The exhibition, which opened last week, runs until January 19, 2025. From August to November, the museum will also host an engaging series of talks supporting the exhibition. The museum in Barnard Castle is open daily 10am to 5pm.
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