Theodore Major

Theodore Major was born in humble circumstances in Wigan in 1908 and lived in nearby Appley Bridge until his death in 1999. Described by the author Michael Howard as 'Britain's last forgotten Twentieth Century Master', many of Major's masterpieces have remained hidden since his death over twenty years ago despite just a handful being sold at leading auction houses such as Sothebys.

Exhibiting alongside other Northern artists including L S Lowry in the early years of his career, Major increasingly withdrew from the commercial art world, decrying the commercial motivation of many of his contemporaries and labelling money and fame as the enemy of the artist.

Upon his death in 1999, hundreds of his masterpieces which he had refused to sell were recovered from his two semi detached houses in Appley Bridge and saved by his family. Only now with the launch of a major research project and book by Michael Howard due to be published in 2023, are these incredible works being seen and recognised by the wider art community.

Read more about Theodore Major and his influence here