An acclaimed artist who was painted by Picasso more than 40 times when she was his muse is to visit Brampton to launch an exhibition of her work.

Lydia Corbett - who was known as Sylvette when she modeled for Picasso in the 1950s - will be exhibiting her paintings at the FRONT ROOM and has agreed to speak at a special event to mark its opening.

Corbett’s recently published biography, ‘I Was Sylvette’, tells the incredible story of how one of the world’s greatest artists became obsessed with her, creating a string of paintings and sculptures of the ‘Girl with a Ponytail’.

Now aged 83, she lives in Devon and is a celebrated painter and ceramicist whose work has been likened to Marc Chagall with a major retrospective of her work planned in London later this year.

But in a coup for Brampton and Cumbria, Corbett has agreed to show her work at the FRONT ROOM and to speak about her life and art at a special event in the town.

Her work will be shown in the workshop along with that of Brampton-based stained glass artist Alex Haynes whom she has collaborated with in the past.

To launch the exhibition she will be joined by Cumbrian writer Sue Allan at the Scotch Arms Mews in Brampton for a talk ‘In Conversation with Lydia Corbett’.

She will also be in the FRONT ROOM workshop earlier in the day to sign copies of her biography.

FRONT ROOM owner Steve Jackson said: “This year we have been able to show some amazing local artists as part of our Two Artists in the FRONT ROOM exhibitions so obviously we are delighted that Alex Haynes and Lydia Corbett will help bring the series to a close.

“And to have Lydia here in Brampton to visit our jewellery workshop and to talk her about her life will be amazing. She may be in her eighties, but she is still going strong and producing some delightful art.”