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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.

Todd, Ralph

Ralph Todd was a popular figure amongst the Newlyn School painters, but he frequently struggled with his work and his friend Stanhope Forbes’s letters often refer to him as ‘Poor Todd’, because of his difficulties both with painting and with money.

Biography

Ralph Todd – 1856 – 1932

Ralph Todd trained at South Kensington, London, before travelling to further his studies in Belgium, Holland and Paris. Like many of his fellow Newlyners, he spent time painting in the art colonies in Brittany, and it was here, in Quimperlé, that he met Stanhope Forbes and the two later became friends.

In 1883, Todd moved to Newlyn and strove to make a living from his art, sadly without great success. Forbes arrived in Newlyn the following year and rekindled his friendship with Todd, but despite his fondness for the man, he had little regard for his talent, writing that: ‘He is simply fighting a hopeless battle but is quite unaware of it and I cannot open his eyes. He has no art in him and were he to paint forever would do no real good work’.

Todd continued to battle with his artistic career with varying success, producing some charming and memorable works alongside some rather weaker ones. By the early 1890s he had moved to St. Keverne near Helston, and continued to paint, sometimes using the alias of Rupert Meneage. He primarily worked in watercolours, but was also competent in oils.

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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