It is my contention that one of the fundamental roles of art is to reflect and reveal, consider and interpret the social-economic situation of its particular circumstances. Impressively exhibited @PenleeHouse Cornwall. Newlyn School Penzance Cornwall
A gem of an art gallery and museum.
Penlee House largely features artists of the late 19th Century who settled in Cornwall to seek fame and fortune from their art and indeed – the Cornish light. Newlyn became one of the foremost coastal art colonies in Europe.
Just before the second Covid-19 lockdown in November, we were able to treat ourselves to a viewing of Penlee House’s latest exhibition ‘Newlyn School Interiors’.
Newlyn School being the art school established by a group of artists in the 1880s attracted by the dramatic, emotional, scenic life of the fishing community as well as the unique Cornish light. These artists concentrated on painting ‘en plain air’ in other words, outdoors similarly to the French Impressionists for example Renoir and Monet and Post Impressionists such as Van Gogh and Cezanne.
The Newlyn School artists also painted many indoor scenes, and this was the focus of the November 2020 exhibition at Penlee House. And so, we were treated to an array of interior domestic scenes such as games, repasts, grief, contemplation and simple meeting and mixing.
The most famous Newlyn School artists displayed in the exhibition are Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes, Frank Bramley, Henry Scott Tuke, Walter Langley and William HY Titcomb.
Unfortunately and understandably, the gallery would not allow photographs of exhibits so here displayed are images via online. Pop onto Penlee House’s website and a few clearer images are available.
English art in this period is sadly overlooked in favour of French art in particular; Impressionism and Post Impressionism avant-gardism being foremost in most people’s minds. Newlyn School Penzance Cornwall
This is a great pity because schools such as Newlyn made such a huge and worthwhile contribution to a fundamental role of art to reflect and reveal, consider and interpret the social-economic situation of its particular circumstances. These Cornish artists made a substantial contribution to this particular purpose of art.
