Who is the mystery man in this portrait?
Estate of Tom McGuinnessAn art exhibition has launched a public appeal to help identify a mystery miner captured in a 1960s portrait.
The charcoal drawing by Tom McGuinness is on display in the Mining Art Gallery in Bishop Auckland as part of an exhibition to celebrate the centenary of the pitman-turned-painter from County Durham.
The work dates from his early artistic career and is thought to likely be someone he knew or a local resident who commissioned it.
Mining art and industrial heritage curator for The Auckland Project Anne Sutherland said: "We'd love to hear from anyone who thinks they might recognise him."
"Tom McGuinness had a remarkable ability to capture character and personality in his portraits - this drawing is no exception."
The Auckland ProjectThe gallery initially labelled the piece "Cathy's Dad", believing it to depict McGuiness' father-in-law.
However, the artist's daughter Corinne Aspel said she "knew right away" it was not him when she saw the drawing.
"It wasn't my grandad, there are clear differences - particularly in the shape of his nose," she said.
The name has been changed to "Portrait of an Unknown Man" - for now.
The exhibition, Tom McGuiness: Out of the Darkness, will run throughout the rest of this year and feature oil paintings, sketches, lithographs and personal family portraits by the artist.
Born in 1926, McGuinness was one of the Bevin Boys conscripted to work in coal mines during World War Two and died aged 80 in 2006.
Sutherland said: "This exhibition celebrates a man whose work captures the emotional truth of mining life, as Tom interpreted what it felt like to be a miner.
"His art remains a powerful reminder of the resilience and identity of mining communities across the North East."
