Antiques with Adam Partridge: All The Fun Of The Fair

Known for regular appearances on Flog It!, Bargain Hunt, Dickinson’s Real Deal and Cash In The Attic, and one of the UK’s finest antique experts and auctioneers – Adam Partridge looks at the works of Blackpool artist Leonard Rodwell.

A painting can make you feel happy or sad. It can give you insight, or it can just look pretty. Some have intense depth and meaning, with the artist telling a story or portraying political or social views, while some are simply a lovely landscape. Basically, we all have our own views on what good art is.

The reason I mention views on art is because I am going to discuss a past Blackpool artist, Mr Leonard Rodwell. Leonard spent most of his life as a plumber and heating engineer. When he retired, he visited Blackpool Pleasure Beach, a place he confessed he hadn’t been to for over 30 years. He noted the vibrant colours of the rides and that the air was packed with fun, happiness and enjoyment. As though hit by divine inspiration, he wanted to capture this atmosphere and decided to paint a picture to hang over his fireplace. He took some snaps with a disposable camera, bought some paints and set to work.

Later, he joined the local art society and it was there that someone offered to buy his work. The more he painted, the more he sold. So, he set himself a task to paint 100 paintings capturing the fun colours and ambiance of Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach. Sadly, Mr Rodwell passed away a couple of years ago and we found the paintings in the studio of his Blackpool home.

We are having an online timed auction in April which is a little like eBay in the format of the bidding. All details will be on www.adampartridge.co.uk and the estimates will be modest £30 – £50 for each painting. I have seen works like this from local artists sell for low sums, then years later they have doubled or tripled. I believe Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime, so it is well worth having a look.

While we are on the topic of The Pleasure Beach, one painting worth mentioning, although it is not in the auction, is ‘’The Fairground’ by L S Lowry, painted in 1938. Originally, this was thought to depict Beswick, Manchester, but was later found to depict Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach. The painting was discovered in 2007 and sold at Sotheby’s for £1.42m.

NorthernLife March/April/May 24