BEN HARTLEY (1933-1996): "Sunday Snoozing-Time" (and Other Stories)

Born in 1933, Ben Hartley grew up in Mellor, on the edge of the Peak District. Ben was sickly as a child and drawing became a consolation – his grandparent’s farm close by offered an abundance of opportunity to explore and record country life. His experience there provided an understanding and familiarity with nature and memories from this time remained at the centre of his work throughout his life.

After studying in Manchester and then at the Royal College of Art in London, Ben lived and worked in Devon for 23 years, from 1960 when he taught part-time at Plymouth College of Art, until he moved to Presteigne, a small town on the Welsh side of the Border Marches.

Ben filled notebooks, over 300 in total, with drawings portraying country life as he found it with a distinctive humour that is now a widely recognised hallmark of the work. With an extensive knowledge of literature and poetry, and a passion for French post-impressionist work, he portrayed his unique and joyful vision that captured the observed ‘other’ of the natural world. His quirky and humorous observations later formed the basis of many of his paintings, all brimming with an affection for the wonders of the world around him.