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St Just Tin Miners, Harold Harvey (1874-1941)
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Royal Cornwall Museum
St Just Tin Miners, Harold Harvey (1874-1941)
Oil on canvas, Newlyn School, 1935. Harold Harvey was one of the few successful artists of the period who was born and raised in Cornwall. He grew up surrounded by the industry he would later paint and counted many of the working people he depicted as friends. He originally studied under Norman Garstin, but also visited Paris as a young man where he was greatly influenced by the Post-Impressionist movement. His earlier work was very much influenced by Stanhope Forbes, though it changed as he grew older, his brushwork becoming less thick and his forms more simple. Some of his later work shows a period stylisation but without the Picasso influences of his contemporaries Ernest and Dod Procter. Harvey continued to work right up to his death in 1941. The painting is, in essence, a portrait of two miners, Nicholas Grenfell and Sydney Angove, who were lifelong friends of the artist. They had both worked at Botallack and Geevor mines before each retired due to ill health. They are posed in Harveys studio in front of a backdrop of a scene from a Malayan tin mine. In the late 1920s cheaper tin from Malaya undercut the price of Cornish tin and many miners emigrated in search of work. The painting, therefore, could be seen as much a comment on the decline of the tin mining industry in Cornwall as it is a celebration of the Cornish diaspora
Royal Cornwall Museum is the UK's Greatest Museum For Cornish Life & Culture
TRURI : 1991.94
Media ID 18848161
© RIC
Artist Artwork Blue British Brown Cornwall Donkey English Green Grey Harness Head Headgear Industrial Industry Miner White Yellow Blinkers Cigarette Pit Pony Pithead Torch
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EDITORS COMMENTS
The print captures a poignant moment in time, showcasing the renowned painting "St Just Tin Miners" by Harold Harvey. Born and raised in Cornwall, Harvey had a deep connection to the local tin mining industry, which he beautifully depicted on canvas. This particular artwork portrays two miners, Nicholas Grenfell and Sydney Angove, who were not only subjects of Harvey's art but also his lifelong friends. Painted in 1935 during the Newlyn School period, this piece reflects Harvey's evolution as an artist. Influenced by Post-Impressionism after visiting Paris as a young man, he developed his own unique style over time. While initially inspired by Stanhope Forbes and Norman Garstin's teachings, Harvey gradually transitioned into simpler forms and less thick brushwork. The backdrop of the painting features a scene from a Malayan tin mine—a symbolic representation of the decline faced by Cornish tin mining due to cheaper imports from Malaya during the late 1920s. This serves as both a commentary on the industry's downturn and an homage to those who emigrated from Cornwall in search of work. Harvey continued creating art until his passing in 1941. His ability to capture not just scenes but also emotions is evident in this masterpiece that immortalizes Grenfell and Angove against their beloved trade's fading background. The print preserves this significant piece of history while reminding us of the profound impact that industrial changes can have on communities like Cornwall.
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