The first major retrospective in over 30 years of a cult Cumbrian artist will open tomorrow.
The exhibition of work by Sheila Fell will be held in the artist’s home county at Tullie in Carlisle.
Arguably one of the 20th century’s greatest landscape painters, Fell’s dark and evocative paintings of the Solway plain led LS Lowry to regard her as the greatest artist of her generation.
‘Sheila Fell: Cumberland on Canvas’ opens on November 23 and runs until March 16 2025, and brings together close to 100 works from private and public collections.
Born in the small mining town of Aspatria, Cumberland, Sheila Fell RA FRSA (1931 – 1979) studied at Carlisle School of Art, located within Tullie House, then St. Martin’s School of Art.
She lived the rest of her life in London, though the landscape of her home was her main source of inspiration.
LS Lowry became her patron and mentor, and the two artists had an enduring friendship.
A few of the loans featured in the exhibition include:
- Head of Sheila Fell, 1954 by Frank Auerbach (1931-2024): a key loan from one of Britain's leading painters. Auerbach was a friend and major influence on Fell's life and work.
- Haystack in a Field, 1967 on loan from TATE: Fell's family had farmed for generations before her father became a miner and the interest in the farming year was always a favoured subject for her paintings.
- The painting Fell was working on at the time of her death in 1979 (pictured): recently rediscovered after years hidden away in an outbuilding, the artwork has undergone extensive conservation by the Fine Art Restoration Company and is on loan from Castlegate House Gallery.
The exhibition features work spanning the artist’s entire career, focusing on the themes of Cumberland, learning and influences, painting, printmaking, drawing, recognition, family, friendships and legacy.
Collaborations with Richmond Hill Primary School and Beacon Hill Secondary School from her hometown feature - a digital display of artistic responses and an atmospheric spoken word soundscape.
Fellow Cumbrian Melvyn Bragg will feature twice in the exhibition.
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Firstly, narrating a segment on Fell from a 1963 edition of the BBC arts series 'Monitor' and secondly in an interview recorded in 2024 where he discusses her career, background, artistic approach and challenges she faced.
The exhibition opens daily from 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sundays.
Exhibition entry is included with the £15 museum admission giving unlimited access and under-18s enter free.
After concluding at Tullie, the exhibition will tour to Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.
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