The News, Newlyn Harbour painted in 1903 is a subject Langley returned to on a number of occasions. In each such work we see an ‘old salt’ or ‘fishwife’ who has just read news of the fishing fleet where a son or grandson or both would have been among the crew. For Langley and his late nineteenth/ early twentieth century patrons this would have been a poignant reminder of the perils of the sea and the daily risks and hardship faced by this small fishing community in the far west of the country.  Langley has given great attention to the detail in this work, with setting and props all heightening the association with the fishing community of Newlyn and its tie to the sea. In the background we see the medieval Old Newlyn Quay, four fishing boats tied up alongside. In the foreground, to the left of the composition, there is a heavy red sail and rope, likely from a Newlyn lugger, a fish basket and small blue water barrel. On the right, more rope and a heavy oar. The old fisherman is attired in a sou’wester hat, fisherman’s smock and boots. He holds a pipe absent mindedly in his hand as he reflects on the news just read.

Langley was the Birmingham born pioneer of the Newlyn School and many of his patrons were Birmingham based. In 1879, with a group of 10 contemporaries seeking to redress the imbalance in the established society exhibitions dominated by an old guard, Langley founded the Birmingham Art Circle. Exhibitions of the Art Circle were held in Birmingham almost every year from 1879 to 1907 at the Graves Gallery in Cherry Street. The News, Newlyn Harbour was first exhibited in one such show. The original Graves Gallery label remains intact on the verso. It was later part of the Harborne collection which included many wonderful Newlyn paintings.