Going North heads East

Going North heads East


19 July 2012

One of Wigan’s most famous paintings is heading for a tour of China!
Donated to Wigan Council in 1922, by Alexander Young, Going North by George Earl is a bustling narrative of nineteenth century railway life, depicting friends travelling from King’s Cross to Scotland for a summer of grouse shooting.
It currently hangs in Wigan Town Hall but soon the prestigious painting will be on a journey of its own as part of the tour of China organised by the International Touring Exhibition Group in an exhibition called “Toward Modernity: Three Centuries of British Art”.
Paintings, drawings and watercolours from across Greater Manchester and the North West of England have been selected for the 12 month exhibition opening at the Hunan Provincial Museum, Changshain September.
Yvonne Webb from Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust’s Heritage Service said: “This exhibition will draw on the great richness of art that is the legacy of collecting and patronage by the men and women of the North West.
“By drawing on the entire spectrum of styles and specialisations represented within the public collections in Greater Manchester the exhibition will show a comprehensive survey of the development of British painting from the mid-eighteenth century to the present day.”
It’s estimated that over the 12 months the exhibition will be seen by more than four million people showcasing Greater Manchester and the North West’s rich heritage, talent and diversity to the world’s second largest economy.

The tour will end at the Henan Provincial Museum, Zhengzhou in August 2013.
Wigan Council’s Cabinet member for Leisure and Culture, Cllr Chris Ready, said: “This is an exciting exhibition and we’re delighted to be able to loan Going North as part of it and to proudly showcase the painting on the other side of the world. Alexander Young’s gift to the people of Wigan epitomises the generosity that exists throughout the region and shows that art has a universal meaning and is of great benefit to all people.”
More than 80 pieces of art from across Greater Manchester will be displayed as part of the exhibition including Peel Park by LS Lowry and Coal Mine by Keith Vaughan.
For more information on the exhibition call: Richard Burns, from Bury Museum and Art Gallery who is the International Touring Exhibition Co-ordinator for this exhibition.