A SILSDEN man's search for new information about an eccentric artist rumoured to have starved to death has proved successful.

Colin Neville appealed through the Craven Herald and sister papers earlier this month for more details about William Stevens.

As a result, the granddaughter of Bertram Heaton – who had bought the artist's work after his death – got in touch to say her family still had 60 of his paintings.

"I have visited her and photographed some of them," said Mr Neville, who was seeking the information for his blog – notjusthockney – which features about 150 local artists.

"William painted mainly landscapes, portraits, pastoral genre and some still life, in oil or watercolour.

"These include some seascapes, of Scarborough, but it is clear he never ventured far from home for his inspiration.

"His portraits are particularly fine. I feel he captures, by a combination of fine and broad brush strokes, the humanity of his subjects.

"Some of his landscapes have an impressionistic feel about them and many of the scenes are recognisable today.

"I was overwhelmed by the multitude of paintings around me and impressed by their overall quality."

Mr Neville hopes some of the work may go on show to the public.

"The Heaton family is keen for this to happen too," he said.

"I need to find a secure venue for the best work to be shown so would welcome any approaches or suggestions from readers."

William Capeling Stevens was born at Fairweather Green in 1870.

He studied at Saltaire School of Art, where he showed an aptitude for oil and watercolour painting. He later moved to London to study at the South Kensington School of Art – later the Royal College of Art. His work was shown at venues including the New Gallery in London and at a Royal Society of British Artists exhibition.

He returned to Yorkshire and rented a house in Saltaire. William became a familiar figure on Shipley Glen, sketching.

Most of his scenes were of Airedale and Wharfedale landscapes, but he was also a gifted portrait painter.

He was what Mr Neville describes as “mercurial in temperament”.

“He could behave in unpredictable ways,” he said.

His eccentric behaviour meant he rarely sold work that wasn’t commissioned and he would dig a friend’s garden for payment of vegetables, and often paid his rent to Salts Mill in pictures.

On January 9, 1911, William was found dead in his house. An inquest decided the cause was “apoplexy”, but a rumour spread he had died of starvation. His house contained many paintings and Bertram Heaton, a friend, bought most of them when they were auctioned off, mostly for a few shillings each.

Heaton arranged a one-man show of his friend’s work at Bradford Central Library in 1970. More than 40 works were shown.