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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.

Suthers, Leghe

Very little is known about Suthers early life, but it is assumed that he spent his formative years around Southport in Lancashire before moving to Newlyn. He was an early visitor to the village and clearly spent much time there, but how long he was actually resident is unknown.

Biography

Leghe Suthers – 1855 – 1924

John Lees, or ‘Leghe’, Suthers was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, on 26 April 1855. Very little is known about his early life, but it is assumed that he spent his formative years around Southport in Lancashire, where he is known to have lived before moving to Newlyn. Both Henry Meynell Rheam and William Banks Fortescue also had connections with that area.

Suthers studied at Verlat’s Academy in Antwerp and was great friends with Fred Hall and Frank Bramley, who also studied there. Later, he met Stanhope Forbes in Brittany. He went to paint in Venice, and Venetian subjects dominated his early works shown at the Royal Academy.

An early visitor to Newlyn, staying for some months in 1883, Suthers continued to use his Southport address for his Royal Academy submissions until 1893 (having first exhibited there in 1885). It is difficult to determine when he settled in Newlyn, particularly as he was often away from the village, but he was a keen advocate of the ‘square brush’ technique and seems to have been an integral member of the colony.

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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