Beryl Cook (1926–2008) was a beloved self-taught British painter celebrated for her vibrant, affectionate, and humorous depictions of everyday life. Her work features instantly recognizable, larger-than-life figures—often voluptuous women and portly men—unapologetically enjoying themselves in pubs, nightclubs, beaches, and on holiday. 

Cook’s iconic style and approach are best described as joyful and unpretentious: She perfectly captured ordinary working-class joy—people laughing, flirting, eating, and dancing with absolute abandon. Her paintings are often likened to visual comedy, with the late comedian Victoria Wood famously describing her as "Rubens with jokes." 

Many critics did not embrace the vision of working class Britain by the former sea-side land lady. She was an untrained artist who positively portrayed the histories and experiences of often underrepresented and marginalised folk. She was a Chronicler of a changing Britain. Let us celebrate this artist who finally is being re assessed by critics and welcomed into the painting pantheon traditions of Stanley Spencer, Fernando Botera and Edward Burra.