Norman Cornish is arguably the most famous artist to emerge from north-east England in the 20th century. The painting was discovered during preparations for a large show of works by Cornish and another titan of northern art, LS Lowry.
The exhibition, at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham, aims to celebrate the two artists as "extraordinary storytellers of everyday life" in northern England.
The self-portrait was discovered a month ago by the Bowes Museum conservation manager, Jon Old, who was working on Cornish's painting Bar Scene, from the collection of Durham county council.
Old said the Bar Scene picture had an unusual backboard set into its stretcher. Puzzled, he decided to remove it. "To my surprise it revealed this wonderful other painting on the reverse, which was quite magical." He said he felt "very privileged to have been the first person since Norman Cornish to see this self-portrait".
Denne historien er fra July 19, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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