Former Leeds Arts University teachers sell their collection of over 1,500 paintings

The couple both taught art to generations of students, predominantly at the then Leeds College of Art, but have shied away from the spotlight themselves – until now.

A decision to sell their collection of work, which comprises of some 2,000 paintings and 1,500 sculptures by the couple’s estimate, has led to an appearance on Really’s The Yorkshire Auction House, which sees auctioneer Angus Ashworth reckon with the art.

Mr and Mrs Hainsworth, who live in South Cave, both met and trained at the renowned Slade School of Fine Art in London under, among others,Sir William Coldstream, graduating in the early 1960s.

A scholarship took Mr Hainsworth, now 84, to Italy for a year, before returning home to teach.

Mr Hainsworth retired in 2000 from his role at the college, now known as Leeds Arts University, with his wife retiring in the same year from her role as a visiting art teacher to primary schools across the region.

Many of the works the couple created which are now for sale were done to illustrate methods for budding artists, he explained.

He said: “The body of work has accumulated because as part of our teaching, I personally – and I think Lucy as well – fed off the work we were doing ourselves into our teaching philosophy.

“Consequently, it was a quarry of material which we drew on for exhibitions or to show work to students, we had work that was relevant to our philosophy and beliefs.

“Our philosophy was based in a search for meaning in terms of what one was thinking about the world, and life, and politics – and that is an ongoing concern.

“My wife was originally from South Africa and did quite a lot of work on political activity there. I, of late, have been working on subject matter related to drones – which has major relevance now due to the Ukraine.”

The filming of the episode of The Yorkshire Auction House saw the normally reserved couple in front of the cameras.

Speaking about the experience, Mr Hainsworth said: “We were new to the technique of being interviewed, and it was quite a revelation.

“When you watch television, you don’t realise all the sort of editing and retakes that take place that took place – in our experience of it – but it was fascinating. And when we saw the television programme, it seemed to be quite seamless.

“They did a very good job, and a very tactful job – with the emphasis not on selling the work, but that we’d been very fortunate to have the opportunity, as two people with some aspiration to being creative, to do this work.”

For Mrs Hainsworth, 86, who specialises in printwork, the sale of the work sparks a hope that others may be inspired by art.

She said: “It has piled up, and we are renting the big shed at the auction house where the filming took place in Kirkbymoorside.

“It’s stacked to the ceiling with paintings and sculptures and prints and drawings and all this work of these last 60 years.”

“So, it’s a case of trying to expose it a bit for other people.”

To enquire about purchasing an item from the Hainsworths’ collection, email [email protected]

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