Newly discovered paintings by renowned Manx artist found with note ‘to throw them out’

They were hidden at the bottom of a box, tied with string with a note suggesting they should be thrown out.

But they turned out to be a number of paintings by renowned Manx artist Robert Creer which survived in remarkably good condition considering they had lain in an airing cupboard for years. They were sent to Kate Keown – the great granddaughter of Creer – after the death of Beryl Creer who was the widow of the artist’s eldest grandson Raymond.

This is the second set of paintings by Creer discovered in a cupboard which ended up in Kate’s possession. The previous set of 50 paintings were turned into a book called Gold-Dust and Calm published more than 15 years ago.

Kate had hoped to turn the latest paintings – almost 30 – into a new book but those plans fell through when the publisher decided against the idea.

Now, she has decided to hold an exhibition and sell off the paintings to raise money for the Queen’s Pier Restoration Trust.

‘Raymond Creer died almost 25 years ago but I kept in touch with his widow Beryl,’ Kate explained. ‘Beryl passed away in 2020 during the pandemic and she was kind enough to leave me a little something in a will.

‘I then got a call from her estate asking if I would like a box containing old photos and diaries. I readily accepted and then this enormous box arrived and it took me several weeks to get through.

‘There were some fascinating diaries and school reports which I have donated to the boarding school’s museum where Raymond attended. It was some weeks later that I found these cards bound up in string with a noting saying “paintings to throw out”.

‘When I realised what they were my heart missed a beat. I was so made up and they are beautiful. There are around 27 and there are some which look to have been painted by his daughter-in-law.

‘I spoke to a local publisher about making a book out of these but that feel through and I was very disappointed. But I felt I needed to do something with them so I decided on an art exhibition.

‘It isn’t something I have done before so it has been a steep learning curve but I have had help from my friend Michael Starkey.’

Creer was born in Ramsey in 1838 and started sketching and painting in 1875. With the latest discoveries, it means around 70 of his paintings survive which the vast majority here in the Isle of Man. He mainly painted scenes in the north of the island where he grew up but there are some in the south and in the UK.

After his death in 1915, Creer’s collection passed through the family with grandson Raymond leaving many to Manx National Heritage in 2001. The exhibition of the newly discovered Creer paintings will be held at Quayle’s Hall in Ramsey from June 18-23, from 10am-4pm.

‘It is really difficult to know how much these paintings are worth,’ Kate said. ‘The guide price is £75-£300 but this is all negotiable. I have been told there is not a big market for these paintings right now but I hope there will be local interest and we can make some money.