‘Hidden’ artwork goes on show
Frozen Pit Pond, 1974, by Jimmy Floyd WOODHORN; (c) Woodhorn Museum & Northumberland Archives; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation
A LYNEMOUTH oil painting from a world-famous collection will go on show to the public for the first time this week.
Frozen Pit Pond, 1974, is the work of Jimmy Floyd, one of the renowned Pitmen Painters.
The artists were first brought to prominence by critic William Feaver in his book Pitmen Painters: The Ashington Group 1934-1984, and attracted international attention after a successful play about the group by Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall.
Mr Floyd’s piece, showing young people ice-skating on a frozen Lynemouth pond with colliery buildings and pit wheels in the background, has never before been exhibited.
But it will soon be on show in Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives in Ashington, which permanently displays more than 80 paintings by the group, but keeps many more in storage.
Museum Exhibitions and Events Officer Liz Ritson said: “It’s a really charming and colourful seasonal image of skaters on a pit pond with a background of colliery wagons, buildings and pit wheels.
“It may well bring back some fond memories for our older visitors and also give younger visitors an insight into an industrial landscape that once dominated the area, but of which little evidence remains today.”
The ‘hidden’ work will be brought out for display tomorrow as part of a series of events to mark the completion of the Your Paintings website, which has been created by the BBC and Public Catalogue Foundation to showcase the entire UK national collection of oil paintings.
There are 211,861 paintings by more than 37,000 artists available to view, of which 80 per cent are usually held in storage in museums, civic buildings, galleries, National Trust properties and other buildings across the UK.
To view them visit www.bbc.co.uk/yourpaintings
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Weather for Morpeth
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
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