In March 2015, we went with friends to see the Newlyn School painting collection at the Penlee House gallery and museum in Penzance. The Newlyn school was an artist's colony between roughly the 1880's and the 1920's. The school then got a second wind with the Lamorna group. The school espoused painting in the open air, though Dame Laura Knight's delight in painting nudes in the open air arounsed a bit of local bemusement. The school is also known for scenes of local fishing folk, sometimes a bit twee and sentimental. however, Our disdain for the school was partly lifted by this visit, as there was a greater variety in the work that it's reputation conveys, and much of it was interesting and accomplished, not least the depiction of west Cornwall.

We started by looking at an exhibition of old photos of West Cornwall, paired with recent photos of the same view. This was Mousehole before the war - and before the Clean Air Act!

Penlee house was built in 1865 and is set in gardens with rhodedendron, camelias, and other flowering shrubs.

This is a typical Newlyn School painting, The Breadwinners, showing women taking the catch to be sold or processed. This was by Walter Langley, the founder of the Newlyn School, who moved to Newlyn in 1882. Unlike others, he mainly worked in watercolour rather than oils.

Stanhope Forbes moved to Newlyn in 1884 and brought the school to prominance the following year, with the acceptance of his painting 'A fish sale on a Cornish beach' at the RA. This is a Study of a fisherwoman. In 1899, he rinvigorated the flagging artist colony by opening a School of Painting with his wife Elizabeth.

Walter Langley's "Among the missing" (left) is another example of the archetypal Newlyn School painting.

Norman Garston moved to Newlyn in 1886. This is a celebrated painting of the promenade at Penzance, "The rain it raineth every day". It is said this was hidden in the twon hall basement for fifty years, as the Council thought it would deter tourists.

Above, Fred Millard, 'The thread of life runs smooth as yet'. He was a founder of the school, based there from at least 1884.

Another classic, 'School's out' by Elizabeth Forbes, wife of Stanhope Forbes. Sadly she died of cancer in 1912.

St Michael's Mount by Samuel John "Lamorna" Birch. He settled at Lamorna in 1892, and a number of other artists joined him, to lead to a second flowering of the Newlyn school.

Another Lamorna artist was Dame Laura Knight, who began holidaying in Newlyn in 1907. She was the first woman elected to the Royal Academy. She lived til 1970. This painting, before WW!, is 'The dark pool'

Home | Photo gallery | Retirement | Plants & gardens | Family History | Cruisin' | Food | Other | Contact us