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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.

Bodilly, Frank

Although his association with the Newlyn School was relatively short-lived, Bodilly was unique amongst the first generation of Newlyn artists in that he was a Cornishman.

Biography

Frank Bodilly – 1860 – 1926

Bodilly was unique amongst the first generation of Newlyn artists in that he was a local boy: he was born in Penzance on 5 December 1860. He was a witness at the marriage of Thomas and Caroline Gotch in 1881, and three years later he married Caroline’s sister, Esther, with whom he had one son.

Bodilly joined the Newlyn painters, staying at Mrs Maddern’s (Belle Vue), but after only about two years, he left to study law. He was called to the Bar at Middle Temple on 8 July, 1889. This precipitated his leaving Cornwall in 1889 to join the Civil Service in India, before becoming a Judge in Calcutta in the Colonial Service. On retirement he returned to Penzance, living with his family at Alverton Cottage. He died near Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Although his artistic career was brief, he did exhibit two works at the Royal Academy (1885-6) and also exhibited at the Royal Society of British Artists. His painting subjects were mainly genre and landscapes.

Portfolio

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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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