I WAS delighted to read that Harold Heys (Letters, January 31) also has a fondness for Sir Alfred Munnings' earlier works and I enjoyed his historical comments on the Solario painting.

As an artist myself, I fully appreciate Munnings' need to make money from his work. Many artists have had to produce paintings whose main motivation was "to boil the pot."

Munnings' wife Violet, was "a lady to the manor born" and liked her bread buttered on both sides. This, I think, was a prime factor in seducing him away from his earlier more 'earthy' style, which was more in sympathy with his chosen subject matter.

"Art for art's sake" is a noble concept but, taking into account life's myriad of complexities, not always an easy one to embrace, even for the most gifted of artists.

Regardless of all this 'AJ,' as Munnings was affectionately known, is probably having a sly chuckle at both Mr Heys and me as he works away in that great studio in the sky, having just completed studies of Shergar and Red Rum.

NORMAN REDMAYNE, Sarah Street, Darwen.

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