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Stories of artists are legion |
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Thursday, 27 September 2007 |
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A photograph of Lady Denbigh, accompanied by the Newlyn artist Gertrude
Harvey, opening an exhibition by Charles Simpson in his gallery in 1954
serves as a reminder that John Curnow Laity of the Morrab
Studio,
Penzance, is not only one of the most experienced gallery directors in
the district but also one of the few, if not the only one, who had
personal contact with many of the artists who once lived and worked in
Penwith - in particular, those associated with the Newlyn School.His
memories of them and the stories he has to tell about them are legion.
They make the perfect backdrop to his current exhibition, A Glimpse of the Newlyn School.
He
recalls, for instance, how in the early 1950s he sold a painting by
Stanhope Forbes for £30, and how, in the mid-l980s he bought back that
same painting on behalf of the town for Penlee House Gallery and Museum
for £18,000. This is a must see show for anyone with an interest in the
artists and their associates of the Newlyn School.
But do see it if you can in the presence of gallery director John Curnow Laity as his stories are a bonus.
Admission is free, and A Glimpse of the Newlyn School is at the Morrab Studio, Penzance, until October 31.
article copyright THE CORNISHMAN
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