On Saturday 2 March a new art gallery opened in Castle Cary High Street. It is in the former premises of the Natwest Bank and is a branch of the David Simon Contemporary Gallery in Bath.David Simon Contemporary is known for showing the work of a range of distinguished artists, including the local artist David Brayne, RWS. For the opening in Cary the gallery has staged a show of the work of Lydia Corbett. In the 1950s Corbett, who is French born (her original name is Sylvette David), was a model for Picasso, inspiring the well-known picture ‘Girl with the Pony Tail’. Corbett herself received artistic inspiration from Picasso, as is evident in some of her early pictures. However she soon found her own style with vivid colours and flowing forms. This exhibition provides a rich overview of her work. Her approach is highly poetic, with traditional and personal mythology intertwining in many compositions.

Lydia Corbett, The Lovers with Pears

 The exhibition also marks the publication of a book about the artist and Picasso;

Sylvette; Picasso’s Muse by Lucien Berman

Will Vaughan