The North
The genre of ‘northern painting’ may bring to mind the mannered, sombre paintings of the Northern European Renaissance, which flourished in the area comprising modern-day Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland - but in the British context, ‘the north’ more likely conjures images of cobbled streets, moorlands and industrial chimneys.
More than just a geographical coordinate, the north is also a direction and an idea. Many key figures in British art have been inspired by the landscape, culture and traditions of life in the north, from LS Lowry and David Hockney to Barbara Hepworth. There is also a proud tradition of working class painting, including amateur artistic groups such as the Ashington Group, who depicted the life of mining communities in Northumbria.