A series of paintings from Robert Rose are currently on display at Wantage Library on Stirlings Road and will be there until Monday, December 8.
According to his granddaughter, Joanna Menzies, it “showcases a brand-new collection of never-before-seen paintings by much-loved local artist Robert Rose”.
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She added: “His acrylic works beautifully capture the charm and character of the Wantage area, featuring scenes from Wantage, Grove, Ardington, Letcombe, and The Hendreds, amongst many others.”
According to Ms Menzies, her grandfather draws “inspiration from his love of walking and the beauty of our local countryside” and the “exhibition celebrates that connection, showcasing works inspired by his many rambles along local footpaths”.
Born in Wantage in 1934, Mr Rose first came to public attention in November 2021 when he went viral on TikTok.
He spent many months at home isolating during the Covid pandemic and to keep himself busy he took to his shed and started painting.
His granddaughter discovered the beautiful paintings hidden away in his shed and after sharing the videos of the paintings on TikTok, Mr Rose became an overnight viral hit with more than a million views and thousands of comments.
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One video scored 1.3 million views, and others had well over half a million each.
Before retiring in 1990, Mr Rose worked at Wantage Road Station as a booking clerk.
In 2021, Mr Rose said: “It is a very new experience for me and fantastic to read all the comments from people from all over the world who have now seen my lockdown paintings.”
