The Royal Cornwall Museum has received its largest bequest ever. The unique collection of 52 works of art by the late St Ives-based painter Bryan Pearce has been presented to the museum by trustees of his estate and will form the subject of a special exhibition to be held in the museum from 17 November 2007 to 5 January 2008.

Undeterred by having a disability that impaired the development of his brain, Bryan Pearce became a hugely popular artist whose work attracted collectors from all over the world. His mother Mary gave up her own career as a painter to encourage her son's talent and it was she who painstakingly started the collection that would become such a fitting memorial to his long and productive life.

Comprising nine watercolours, twenty seven oil paintings, three conté crayon drawings and eleven etchings, the bequest includes Bryan Pearce's first work, The Ginger Jar completed in 1957, and his last, a view of Falmouth harbour from the National Maritime Museum that he was still working on weeks before his death in January this year.

Not long after Bryan's mother died ten years ago, Janet Axten took over much of her work - cataloguing his paintings and writing a book about the artist to coincide with a prestigious retrospective exhibition at the Royal Cornwall Museum in 2000.

"Mary Pearce kept meticulous records and always kept certain pieces back for the collection that she was determined would be gifted to the county," said Janet. "She wanted her son's memory to live on and for people in Cornwall to be able to continue appreciating his work for generations to come.

"Bryan loved painting. He was a very peaceful, happy man with a great sense of humour. Art was the way he saw life - light, hope and order. Everyone who knew him loved and respected him and, although he never had any formal artistic training, his prodigious talent was recognised far and wide. He gave so many people so much pleasure. I feel very privileged to have known him."

The bequest was formally accepted by the Royal Institution of Cornwall's chairman, Sir Ferrers Vyvyan.

"I am absolutely delighted to receive this remarkable gift on behalf of the people of Cornwall," he said. "In terms of what it represents, it is a priceless collection."