In July 2010, Bridport Museum was lucky enough to be able to purchase an intriguing painting entitled ‘The Woodcutter’ by Francis Newbery. The history of the painting, including the date and identity of the subject, was unknown.
The museum has received an ‘Understanding British Portraits’ bursary from the National Portrait Gallery to enable research of the painting. Visitors to the museum should stay tuned to find out more about this mysterious portrait in the following months.
For those of you who haven’t heard of Francis (Fra) Newbery, here is a brief introduction. Born in Membury, Devon in 1885 he moved to Bridport with his family when he was a young boy. A successful stint as an arts master in the town was then followed by ten years teaching in London and thirty two years as Director of Glasgow School of Art. Here he nurtured the talents of skilled students such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Newbury’s painting, ‘A Romance of Bridport’ was given to Bridport in 1923 and several other paintings followed in the period 1924-7. This was Newbery’s token of his love for a town that encouraged his early artistic talents.
Why not visit the museum between 10am-8pm on 8th December when it’s open for Bridport’s late night shopping? Not only will you get see the painting itself, but the gift shop is now selling cards and prints of the Newbery painting. There are more beautiful and quirky Christmas presents in the shop, so come and have a look! Remember, we are a registered charity, so every purchase goes towards supporting the museum!
For more information please contact us on 01308 458703 or visit the website www.bridportmuseum.co.uk
