In pictures: South Yorkshire's collieries then and now
- Published
Peter Watson was commissioned by the National Coal Board to paint Elsecar Colliery and others in South Yorkshire in the 1970s.
The Scarborough-based artist was reunited with his paintings, including this one of Manvers Colliery, in 2012, when the National Coal Mining Museum told him it had owned them since 1997.
Mr Watson said he lost track of his paintings once the collieries began to close. Manvers Colliery shut down in 1988, and the site was turned into a business park.
"These sites have all disappeared now apart from Maltby. It is sad, but things move on," he said.
Maltby Colliery, one of the last remaining deep mines in England, was closed in April.
Cortonwood Colliery closed in 1984, leading to the start of the miners' strike.
Cortonwood was later turned into a retail park.
When Mr Watson was shown the paintings he said: "The memories came back of walking around the collieries."
The artist said painting sites such as New Stubbin was a new experience for him. "Coming from the East Riding where I'm from, this was a completely new landscape. I was captivated by the landscapes of South Yorkshire."
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