Home / Arts and Entertainment / Beryl Cook: Undervalued British Art Pioneer
Beryl Cook: Undervalued British Art Pioneer
14 Feb
Summary
- Beryl Cook's depictions of Plymouth life were once undervalued.
- Curators argue her work is now receiving serious artistic recognition.
- Her art is celebrated for its working-class authenticity and queer culture.

Beryl Cook's unique vision of British life, characterized by body-positive figures and astute observations of nightlife, is being re-evaluated a century after her birth. Curators in Plymouth are championing a new exhibition to highlight her work, asserting that her depictions of local life were previously undervalued.
Though once acclaimed as Britain's most popular painter, her art is now being given the serious artistic recognition that eluded her. Artists like Jo Beer and Flo Brooks commend Cook for her distinct style, celebrating her as a pioneer of British working-class art and a groundbreaking inclusion of queer culture in her paintings.




