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Cornwall Museum Presents Sir Claude Francis Barry Retrospective

The Royal Museum of Cornwall will hold a major retrospective of the work of the forgotten British Post-Impressionist painter Sir Claude Francis Barry (1883-1970) from the 5th of February to the 4th of June 2011. ‘A Master Revealed: A retrospective of the work of Sir Claude Francis Barry’ brings together an exciting and intriguing range of works that represent the eclectic artistic journey of a passionate and talented British modern master artist whose life story is as intriguing as his art. On view 5 February – 4 June.

Born in 1883 Sir Claude Francis Barry was the oldest son of an aristocratic, industrial family. Defying his parents’ wishes he became a painter, training first as a realist in Newlyn, tutored by Alfred East, then later moving to St Ives where he became an active member of the St Ives Art Club. Barry was embraced by the artistic establishment and by the age of 23 was exhibiting with London’s prestigious Royal Academy. Over the next decade he showed with the R.A., the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Society of Scottish Artists and the Salon des Artistes.

Barry was forced into the studio at the outbreak of World War I and his painting style evolved as he became less inclined to realism and more involved in colour and form. His family background in design and engineering provided him with a good grounding in exploring French pointillism and especially British vorticism.

In the 1920s he left England for Europe where he remained until the outbreak of the Second World War. During this time he honed the skills as an etcher that he learned under the tutelage of Sir Frank Brangwyn, making images both precise and atmospheric, which were well received in the Paris Salon. He was awarded gold, silver and bronze medals for his work in both France and Italy and amongst his diverse patrons were Queen Mary, Neville Chamberlain and Mussolini.
As well as producing etchings from the early 1900’2 until the second world war Barry continued to paint, approaching colour with what was essentially divisionist philosophy, separating colour and using clear, unmixed colours to maximise luminosity.

Moving around Europe in the 20s and 30s, he painted and etched prolifically and became inspired by the technical challenges of depicting dusk and darkness. This, in addition to as a keen interest in astrology is evident in many of his night-time works. On the outbreak of war in 1939 Barry returned to St Ives and, giving up etching, concentrated on oils. Later, having moved to Jersey, his work continued with more emphasis made on figurative paintings and working with a minimalist style to producing blocks of colour and sinuous, pared-down shapes. There, he became part of the “Phoenix Group”; comprising the well known Jersey artist Edmund Blampied; John More, Barry’s pupil Tom Skinner and his twin brother Jean Jacques.

A constantly evolving style over six decades has made Barry, despite his reticence about promoting his work, a feature in many of the finest shows of his time.

Free lunchtime talk in the exhibition on Thursday 10 March 1-2pm. Booking advised.

Royal Cornwall Museum
River Street, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 2SJ
Tel.: 01872 272205
Dial 0 to speak to the Receptionist
Fax.: 01872 240514
[email protected]
www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk

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