A visitor favourite is The Exile by Thomas Cooper Gotch 1854 – 1931, oil on canvas. Painted in 1930, a year before Gotch’s death, this was one of the artist’s last works.

Billie Stevenson, Gallery Officer at The Alfred East Gallery, explains: “The full title of the artwork is ‘The Exile, Heavy is the Price I Paid for love’. The model’s identify has always been a mystery but one theory suggests she was Mary Cuzans, who was married to a friend of Alfred East. The striking image, full title of the painting and her facial expression have created many theories about the painting’s meaning and it is always a topic of conversation among visitors and staff”.

In 1932, a memorial exhibition was held at the Alfred East Gallery, from which The Exile was purchased for £125. It was gifted to the gallery at a later date by Councillors Mr and Mrs C W Clarke.