ONE of Yorkshire’s best-loved artists has died.
Landscape painter Peter Brook, 81, from Brighouse, died in his sleep at Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax, on November 25.
He had broken a leg four weeks before and died of cardiac failure.
Mr Brook, best known for his paintings of the windswept Yorkshire hills, was born in Scholes in 1927.
He was educated at Barnsley Grammar School, before he trained as a teacher at Goldsmiths College, London.
After two years in the RAF, Mr Brook, whose charming paintings often featured himself and his faithful dog Shep, returned to Yorkshire.
He became a teacher in Rastrick where he married Molly and found much of his artistic subject matter in the surrounding hills.
In 1960, he held his first solo exhibition at Wakefield City Art Gallery, which received a favourable review in The Times.
Two years later, he became an elected member of the Royal Society of British Artists.
In the 1970s Peter’s artistic career took off when London art dealers Agnews began selling his works – many of which had amusing, quirky titles.
Mr Brook had several successful exhibitions in London, America and Australia.
Top actors such as Tom Courtenay, Rodney Bewes and the late Marsh-born Hollywood actor James Mason became collectors of his works.
Peter’s paintings, which also depicted the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, regularly sold for four and five-figure sums.
He was honoured by the Tate Gallery, which featured one of his pieces in their 2009 and 2011 desk diaries.
An exhibition of about 100 of his paintings at Harrison Lord Gallery, Bradford Road, Brighouse, started last week.
The exhibition includes his last ever work – a painting of the Northern Lights inspired by the BBC programme Joanna Lumley In The Land Of The Northern Lights.
Steven Lord, Peter’s friend and Harrison Lord Gallery owner, said: “Peter was famous for his interest in the Pennine mills when all people were interested in was knocking them down.
“His work really captured the feeling that the Yorkshire landscape was not a thing to knock down, but something to celebrate.
“He had an eye for a painting. I go around and I see landscapes that could be a Peter Brook painting, but he was clever enough to see it before anyone else.
“He was terribly enthusiastic about what he sold, but it wasn’t about the money. He didn’t want his paintings to go to people just for the money.”
Peter is survived by his wife, daughters Alison and Katherine and grandchildren Laura and Andrew.
His funeral takes place at Fixby Crematorium on December 4.
The family have requested no flowers, but donations may be made in lieu to the West Yorkshire Forget Me Not Trust or Myeloma UK cancer charity.
