Last updated at 15:23, Monday, 16 July 2012

THERE are 1,900 oil paintings in public collections throughout Cumbria but no one has had the chance to see them all – until now.

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The launch of a new Your Paintings website allows them all – and thousands more from all over the country – to be viewed from your armchair.

Works by famous names such as Ben Nicholson, Joshua Reynolds, George Romney, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Stanley Spencer and Johann Zoffany can be seen alongside pictures by less well-known artists who show life and industry as it used to be.

You can see the Empress of Russia ablaze in Barrow Docks during 1945 in a dramatic painting by Ireleth artist Bill Bell or see vivid interpretations of the now-vanished Millom Ironworks.

You can also see pigeon lofts on allotments at Ulverston by Eric Quinn or get all nostalgic about steam trains at Ulverston in 1920 on a railway promotional picture by Cuthbert Ellis.

Some of the pictures have rarely, or never, been on public display before but can now be viewed through a partnership project between the Public Catalogue Foundation and the BBC.

The virtual Cumbrian gallery is part of an ambitious scheme to create a complete online catalogue of every oil painting in the national collection which can be explored at www.bbc.co.uk/yourpaintings

These Cumbrian paintings are drawn from 28 collections, including the large collection of work by the Dalton-born George Romney at Abbot Hall, Lakeland Arts Trust, in Kendal.

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery at Carlisle includes many contemporary works, notably those by well-known Dalton artist Keith Tyson.

Other collections include Barrow Borough Council, The Beacon, Hawkshead Grammar School, Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and Millom Heritage Museum.

To help the site identify and catalogue what can be seen in each painting, the public is being invited to ‘tag’ the nation’s paintings at http://tagger.thepcf.org.uk

Helen Watson, the director of exhibitions and collections for the Kendal-based Lakeland Arts Trust, said: “Giving as much public access as possible to our extensive collections is of paramount importance to us.

“While the key paintings in our collection – which includes important examples by George Romney, Ben Nicholson, Bridget Riley, Stanley Spencer and Sean Scully – are shown regularly, there are many more works by less familiar artists that will benefit from the PCF project and will now be seen by a wider audience.”

Jeff Cowton, curator for the Wordsworth Trust, at Grasmere, said: “It is a privilege to have our paintings included in this magnificent project.

“Preparation for it has encouraged us to reappraise their value in our wider collection, and we hope that increased awareness will lead to greater enjoyment from them.

“People might be surprised at the number of more modern works in the Wordsworth Trust’s collections.”

Charlotte Stead, curator at Keswick Museum and Art Gallery, said: “What a great opportunity for every painting across Cumbria and the UK to be in one place, promoting access to collections in so many organisations.

“It really gives us the opportunity of highlighting our key paintings within our collection from locally and national known artists.”

Andrew Ellis, director of the Public Catalogue Foundation, said: “No country has ever embarked on such a monumental project to showcase its entire painting collection online.

“Working with collections and individuals all over the UK, this project will reveal to the world the UK’s extraordinary holding of oil paintings.”

Saul Nassé, Controller of Learning, BBC, said: “Your Paintings is a beautiful thing. Our partnership with the PCF has meant hidden treasures from across the UK are now on show, 24 hours a day, for us all to appreciate and learn from.”

First published at 16:24, Friday, 13 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk