Two rare paintings by Britain’s most unusual artist on sale for £40,000

Last updated: 2025/05/16 at 5:15 PM

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Two rare paintings by one of Britain’s most unusual artists are expected to sell for £40,000.

The works are by Beryl Cook, one of Britain’s best loved and recognisable artists.

Her often comical works picture people she encountered in everyday life.

The subjects tend to be enjoying themselves in pubs, shopping or out on hen nights.

Cook had no formal training and did not take up painting until she was in her thirties.

*The second piece, Big Julie, shows the formidable Julie entertaining locals in what is likely a Plymouth pub. (Jam Press/Plymouth Auction Rooms)*

Much of her inspiration was drawn from her home city of Plymouth, Devon, where she was a familiar face around the Barbican, regularly visiting pubs like The Dolphin Inn and strolling along the Hoe near her home.

Since her death in 2008, demand for original Cook paintings has remained consistently strong.

Now two original paintings are being auctioned.

They are expected to attract national and international interest, particularly from the United States where Cook has a strong following, as reported by What’s The Jam.

The first, Sailors and Seagulls, painted in around 1970 and measuring approximately two-feet by three-feet, is believed to have been inspired by sailors Cook would have seen in Plymouth.

*The first, Sailors and Seagulls, is believed to have been inspired by sailors Cook would have seen in Plymouth. (Jam Press/Plymouth Auction Rooms)*

The painting features a group of sailors smoking on a bench on Plymouth Hoe, with Cook’s dog, Bozo, in the background.

It is believed to have been acquired directly from Cook by a friend of hers and is being sold by his family.

It is expected to sell for between £20,000 and £30,000.

The second piece, Big Julie, measures one-and-a-half-feet by nine-inches and shows the formidable Julie entertaining locals in what is likely a Plymouth pub.