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Visit Penlee House & Museum

Penlee House is a Gallery, Museum, Cafe and Shop. Situated within Penlee Park, a space to reflect and great for family visits.

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A space for exhibitions & events

Alongside our Exhibition programme we run a variety of community events and workshops. The Newlyn School and Social history galleries change often. Find out what’s on.

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A space to learn

Penlee House is committed to lifelong learning. We run workshops for all age groups and offer a school workshop programme.

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A space for all

Built in 1865, as the home of the Branwell family. Penlee House is home to many paintings by members of the Newlyn School. It is also home to the Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society collection.

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You can search and browse our collections online. We also have a section dedicated to the Newlyn School.

 

Compass’d by the Inviolate Sea: Marine Painting in Cornwall from Turner to Wallis

18 June 2016 until 3 September 2016

From the 19th century onwards, artists were drawn to the Cornish coast, capturing on paper and canvas the romance and rawness of rocks and waves. After JMW Turner’s paintings and engravings from his visits in 1811 became widely known, leading British marine artists painted in Cornwall, producing iconic images of places such as Land’s End, St Michael’s Mount, Kynance Cove, Gurnards Head and Tintagel. From the 1880s, artists settled in Newlyn, St Ives and Falmouth and depicted the lives of the local fishing communities.  The marine tradition was continued in St Ives by Julius Olsson and later, his students, such as Borlase Smart and John Park. However, it was the naive marine paintings on bits of rough cardboard by rag-and-bone man, Alfred Wallis, which were to inspire a whole generation of British modernists.

 Immerse yourself in Penlee’s summer show and discover why the Cornish coast was held in such fascination by some of Britain’s finest artists. Curated with the assistance of David Tovey. DOWNLOAD THE EXHIBITION HANDLIST HERE

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Visit Us

Penlee House is a beautiful art gallery and museum, set within sub-tropical gardens, with a great café.

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Exhibitions

Our vibrant exhibition programme celebrates the nationally important art and history of West Cornwall.

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Learning

From school visits to family activities, talks and walks, there are plenty of learning opportunities at Penlee House.

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Our Café

Enjoy a delicious lunch or coffee at the Orangery Café, with its sunny terrace overlooking the park.

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