A secret love story which unfolded in Botham’s in the early part of the 1900s is being revealed for the first time after a painting by one of the Staithes Group of Artists was unexpectedly donated to the town’s art collection.
Earlier this month, Pannett Art Gallery was gifted an oil painting of a young woman, who sits with her right hand over her left.
She was engaged at the time, knew she wasn’t in love with her betrothed, but also knew the painting would last longer than the engagement and covered her hand.
The subject, Maud, was a waitress in Botham’s and instead went on to marry a man, Mr Barrick, who she met while she worked there.
Their story is being told for the first time after the couple’s daughter, Winifred Benson, donated the painting by a member of the Staithes Group, Albert George Stevens (1863-1927), to the gallery.
Maud left school at the age of 14 and went to work for a dress-maker, picking up pins, who was Albert Stevens’ wife. Albert had trained in Antwerp and the couple lived on York Terrace.
At that time, it was usually wealthy people who had their portraits done, but Albert liked Maud and painted it as a present for her birthday.
Maud had five proposals of marriage and was engaged three times. She died in 1983.
Winifred told Effie: “He had to court her for a very long time, but my father was a very determined man.”
The painting had always been hung in the hallway of her house, so has been preserved from sunlight, and Winifred was prompted to take it to a local valuation event by her sister.
It was there they learned it had been painted by Stevens and of its significance.
Effie said: “We don’t always accept into the collection because we have so many paintings, so it has to be relevant to the collection. The Staithes Group is one of our key collections and it is a great Whitby story.
“We are mindful that people look at art in different ways. People travel to see the Staithes Collection because it is famous, but equally, we know people will know Winifred and her mother.
“It is so rare that you get to meet the person who has donated. It was wonderful to be able to meet her and get more information about the art work and hear the story to share with people.”
Winifred also told how her father fought in the first world war, and when he returned he was looking for work. Upon hearing some chaps in Whitby were setting up a business, he was going to ask if he could work there, but Maud said ‘why don’t you see if you can go in with them’.
He didn’t have the money so Maud gave him the wages she had saved from Botham’s. Mr Barrick became a partner in the business which became Universal Garage.
The Staithes Group of Artists painted as a group and were based along Staithes, Whitby and the Yorkshire coast from around 1894 to 1909, documenting local life through their works.
Advances in travel, mainly by rail, made this area more accessible and open to tourism. The artists, like many other visitors, were drawn in by the scenery and the fishing industry.
The Staithes Group of Artists became part of the local economy and community as they needed lodgings, studio space and models.
The Pannett Art Gallery in Whitby is the only one to have a comprehensive public display of paintings by these artists.
