Norman Cornish: A Life in Sketchbooks

Step inside the working imagination of much-loved local artist Norman Cornish in this intimate exhibition at The Bowes Museum. About Norman Cornish: A Life in Sketchbooks brings together finished drawings, paintings and watercolours alongside the preparatory sketches that shaped them, offering a rare insight into the artist’s creative process. Across his lifetime, Cornish filled 269 sketchbooks, capturing the streets, people and communities of the Durham coalfield with remarkable sensitivity and warmth. Building on the museum’s previous explorations of his work, this exhibition takes a closer look at the artist’s powers of observation and the ideas behind each piece. It also includes a major new acquisition made possible through the legacy funds of the Friends of The Bowes Museum. Drawing