Previously Unidentified Pitmen Painter Work Discovered in Private Home

An artwork by a Pitmen Painter, previously unrecognised, is currently on public exhibition in an art gallery, having been kept for an extended period on a dining room wall. The painting, titled Fish and Chips by Tom McGuinness, was a gift to William Cartner, an art lecturer at a university who had instructed McGuinness during night school classes. Helen Clay, Mr. Cartner’s granddaughter, inherited the piece in 2019 and caused astonishment among collectors upon disclosing that the painting was located in her residence in Hylton Castle, Sunderland. “It was hanging on my wall for five years and people have offered me money for it, but I won’t part with it,” she stated. “It reminds me of lovely memories and a lovely childhood with my grandparents.” Fish and Chips portrays working-class individuals, both men and women, positioned outside a takeaway establishment. Several men are shown consuming chips, and a young boy is depicted standing outdoors with a dog. The artwork has since been lent to The Bob Abley Art Gallery, situated within Spennymoor Town Hall in County Durham, where it is accessible for public viewing. The Pitmen Painters utilized their artistic creations to illustrate the realities of life for working-class populations during Britain’s industrial era. This collective, comprising artists like McGuinness, Norman Cornish, and Fred Laidler, originated in the 1930s following their meeting at a Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) class. McGuinness, a native of Bishop Auckland, was employed in the coal mines as a Bevin Boy, a designation for men conscripted for mining work during World War Two. A compilation of his previously unexhibited works was recently showcased at the Gallerina art space in Darlington. William Cartner encountered McGuinness while instructing an art class at a WEA night session and received Fish and Chips as a gift from his student. Art specialists have verified that the painting represents an early creation by McGuinness, estimated to date from the 1970s. John Thompson, the curator of The Bob Abley Art Gallery, expressed that he was “staggered” upon visiting Ms. Clay’s residence and observing the painting displayed on the wall. “At the moment we have got it,” Mr. Thompson stated. “It’s being admired along with the other two Tom McGuinnesses we have on display.” The specific room where it is situated aims to evoke the Spennymoor Settlement, the location where the Pitmen Painters were established. Ms. Clay holds cherished recollections of her upbringing with her grandfather, who originated from Haltwhistle, Northumberland, and subsequently pursued a career as an art lecturer at Lancaster University and Teesside Polytechnic. However, it was during his tenure teaching night classes via the WEA that he met artists who would later form the Pitmen Painters. In addition to McGuinness, Ms. Clay also holds the belief that her grandfather might have instructed the renowned painter Norman Cornish. Mr. Cartner was an enthusiastic painter, botanist, and calligrapher, and he would take his daughter fossil hunting, an activity during which they would engage in “banging those chisels.” “I went around fossiling with him on the Cleveland Way all the different little coastal areas like Robinhood’s Bay, Skinningrove, Whitby, Sands End, Staithes – we went everywhere.” Subsequently, Mr. Cartner would sketch the ammonites they discovered collectively and market his drawings as postcards for 10p. Upon inheriting Fish and Chips from her mother, Ms. Clay made a pledge that, should she have no descendants to whom to bequeath the painting, she would donate it to an art gallery focused on the works of the Pitmen Painters. Ms. Clay is of the opinion that her grandfather would endorse their initiative. “Because he taught the Pitmen Painters and because he believed in the power of education to empower working-class people, he would absolutely approve of that,” she commented. For updates, follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.