SHEFFIELD.- Stanley Royle (1888-1961) was one of the most popular Sheffield painters of the 20th century. This winter, the first major retrospective exhibition of his work in almost 30 years will make its debut at the city’s Graves Gallery. Opening on 13 December 2014, The Great Outdoors – Paintings by Stanley Royle will showcase Sheffield’s magnificent collection of his paintings, the largest in the country.

Although born in Stalybridge, Stanley Royle quickly became an adopted son of Sheffield. He spent his formative years growing up in Ecclesfield, attending Sheffield School of Art and finding initial employment as an illustrator with Sheffield newspapers. In 1913 he had three works accepted by the Royal Academy and went on to depict many stunning scenes of the city and surrounding countryside, capturing a landscape which he felt was threatened by industrialisation.

After returning to Sheffield School of Art to teach, Royle moved to Canada in 1931 to escape the Depression, joining the staff of art schools in Nova Scotia and later, New Brunswick. During this period he found inspiration in the dramatic landscape and produced striking scenes of the Rocky Mountains and Canadian coastline. He returned to Britain in 1945 and continued to paint prolifically, exploring on a motorbike, which he had specially adapted to accommodate his canvasses and paint box.

Sponsored by Sheffield solicitors, Taylor&Emmet LLP, The Great Outdoors – Paintings by Stanley Royle will span the length of Royle’s career. Amongst the works on display will be The Farmyard (1914), From Yorkshire Hills to Derbyshire Hills (1919), Morning on the Derbyshire Moors (1920), Sheffield from Crookes (1923), and Rock Formation, Nova Scotia (1932). The exhibition will feature several works on paper, including Moonlight (1930) and Old Buildings, Pye Bank, Sheffield (1931), as well as his last ever painting, Mevagissey, Cornwall (1960), made just a year before his death.

Sian Brown, Curatorial Services Manager at Museums Sheffield said: ‘Thanks to the generosity of his daughter, Jean, who kindly donated many of her father’s works to the city, Sheffield has one of the finest Stanley Royle collections in the world. This new exhibition will explore the remarkable development and legacy of Royle’s work and provide a fitting celebration of an artist who captured the region like no other’.

The Great Outdoors – Paintings by Stanley Royle opens at the Graves Gallery on Saturday 13 December and continues until 30 May 2015 – entry to the exhibition is free.