THE cultural heritage of Yorkshire is the theme of a new exhibition which brings together 50 paintings from the region’s finest artists past and present.

Victorian blockbusters such as Atkinson Grimshaw’s famous painting Silver Moonlight is exhibited along with Fred Lawson's paintings of Wensleydale life and new work by contemporary artists including Jake Attree, John Creighton, Tom Wood and Graeme Willson.

Great Yorkshire Art has been designed to complement the Great Exhibition of the North in Newcastle and Gateshead with paintings, prints, photography, drawings and sculpture by artists inspired by Yorkshire landscape and people.

It is on show at the Mercer Gallery in Harrogate until September 16.

Atkinson Grimshaw is celebrated as a painter of moonlight while William Powell Frith was known as the people's painter.

Grimshaw was born in Leeds and Frith near Ripon, with his bicentenary to be celebrated with a major show at the Mercer next year.

The works come from Harrogate’s Fine Art Collection which also has a strong range of contemporary work.

Jane Sellars, curator of cultural services, invited three artists to create a cameo of new work for the show.

Jake Attree, courtesy of Messum’s of London, depicts the Bronte Bridge in Haworth and Harrogate’s Montpellier Hill, while Graeme Willson paints Ilkley Moor and John Creighton observes the North York Moors. Tom Wood portrays the brilliant dancers of Northern Ballet in Leeds.

Contemporary photography is represented with works by Yorkshire photographers Tim Smith, Tessa Bunney and Liza Dracup.

Landscape plays a starring role taking the viewer all around the county, over moor and dale and into the heart of urban and industrial Yorkshire.

This year is the centenary of Fred Lawson’s death in 1968 and John Duncalfe, Lawson’s biographer, has lent a striking group of the artist’s landscape watercolours made in Wensleydale, including vibrant scenes of gypsy life.

Knaresborough and Ripon are enjoyed in Leslie Marr’s vigorous charcoal drawing of Fountains Abbey and Charles Buxton Knight’s great British Impressionist riverside scene of everyday life with the sunlight filtering through the leaves on the trees to light up the workers dredging of the river bed.

The Mercer Art Gallery is at Swan Road in Harrogate. Admission to the exhibition is free. There are works for sale and a range of books about art and Yorkshire in the gallery shop.