Weblog

Grandpa? Why is it I have never seen any of these artists in a public Gallery?

Having been involved with museum and Galleries most of my life I too began to wonder.

Where are the publicly owned collections with work by artists such as Beryl Cook, Rolf Harris, David Shepherd, Mackenzie Thorpe or J.C.G.Illingworth and others?

I know of two public Galleries that have bought at least one picture by Beryl Cook, but I don't know about the other artists. I have never seen any on display when I have visited many of the Galleries around the UK. By contrast, original work by L.S.Lowry, once best known in limited and open editions, is in many.

These are popular artists; their work is well publicised and sells to admirers around the world. Their popular reputation would seem to have been built at least in part from the sale of limited edition prints of their work.

Most of their original work hangs in private or quasi-private collections and is not generally known or accessible to the public at large. Herein lies the great justification and appeal of the limited edition print.

Limited edition prints by these artists provide affordable access to their work and brings awareness of its depth, quality and range. Without the limited edition print their work would be largely inaccessible.

10 September 2009