Norman Cornish: A life in sketchbooks opens at the Bowes Museum, a new exhibition exploring the creative process of one of the North East’s most celebrated artists.

The exhibition brings together drawings, paintings and watercolours alongside the preparatory sketches that shaped them, offering visitors a rare glimpse into Cornish’s working practice. The exhibition also features Sarah peeling potatoes, by Norman Cornish, a major new acquisition made possible through the Friends of The Bowes Museum legacy funds.

Building on previous exhibitions at the museum, including Kith and Kinship: Norman Cornish and L.S. Lowry which included works by Cornish, this new exhibition presents a more intimate perspective on Cornish’s work. By focusing on his sketchbooks, it reveals the artist’s process, careful observation and ideas that underpinned his practice and ability to find significance in ordinary lives.

Carrying a sketchbook almost everywhere, Cornish filled 269 of them across his lifetime, capturing the streets, people and communities of the Durham coalfield with remarkable warmth and sensitivity. The artist hoped for his sketchbooks to “have a life of their own... and to teach people to look at things.”

A significant new acquisition

Cornish’s work, Sarah peeling potatoes, is a portrait of the artist’s wife that embodies the tender care and admiration he felt towards her, while also reflecting the domestic scenes that run through his work. Sarah provided the support that enabled Cornish to develop his career as an artist and this intimate portrait suggests the deep respect and gratitude he held for her. Slightly bent, in a prayer-like posture, she is presented with a quiet strength and dignity that led Cornish to describe such images of his wife as representing “thousands of women who were heroines of the coalfield”.

The acquisition has been made possible through legacy funds from The Friends of The Bowes Museum, an independent charity that supported the museum for 75 years and continues to enrich the collection through important acquisitions such as this.

Vicky Sturrs, Director of Programmes and Collections at The Bowes Museum said:

“Norman Cornish was one of the North East’s most celebrated storytellers, capturing everyday life with remarkable warmth, honesty and insight. Through his sketchbooks, this exhibition offers visitors a rare and intimate glimpse into the artist’s world, revealing the observations, ideas and creative process that shaped his life’s works.

“We are also delighted to present Sarah peeling potatoes, a significant addition to the museum’s collection. Acquired through the generosity of the Friends of The Bowes Museum legacy funds, the painting ensures that an important part of Cornish’s artistic legacy can be enjoyed by audiences for generations to come.”