Join the Friends of Penlee House for a talk by Lorraine Downes exploring the topic of portraiture focussing on the current Penlee House exhibition ‘Face to Face’. Portraiture is distinguished from other art forms by its relationship with likeness, yet the Greek Moralist Theophrastus said, ‘Only a flatterer tells a person that he looks like their portrait!’ How is the psychology of a person captured? We will look at a range of works from over a hundred years of people who lived and worked in West Cornwall, all shaping our community. Some are known to us, while others remain anonymous.
Lorraine pursued a successful career in industrial marketing, followed by working in the public sector focussing on developing education business strategy in further education. In parallel to her professional life, she has been a volunteer Tate Gallery Guide since 2005. Lorraine read Humanities with Art History, obtaining a first-class honours degree. She has undertaken further study of the vibrant Cornish culture. Twenty years later, she is still leading tours at Tate Britain and Tate Modern and gives talks at Tate St Ives. She also launched the guided tour programme at Penlee House Gallery & Museum in 2017, which now has a team of 6 volunteer guides. Lorraine has also given art talks on cruise ships. Lorraine enjoys sharing her passion for international art and history, and her talk in March will include artworks to thrill and touch your soul.
📅 Date: 3 March 2026
🕝 Time: 7.30 pm
📍 Venue: The Queen’s Hotel, Penzance
🎟️ Tickets: £7 Friends | £15 General admission
👉 Book now to secure your place!
