Artwork of the Month - May 2012
Peahens and Peacock
Artist: Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe (1901-1979)
Medium: Watercolour
Status: Loan (Private collection)
Item No.: GML 2004.1
About the Artist
The artist and illustrator Charles Tunnicliffe spent much of his childhood living on a farm in Sutton, Macclesfield. He would draw the wildlife around him, developing his artistic talents. When only 14 he gained a scholarship to the local Macclesfield School of Art and later to the Royal College of Art.
Tunnicliffe's love of wildlife continued throughout his life, seen through his paintings and illustrations. He was most well known for depicting birds, usually placed within a naturalistic setting. Tunnicliffe's illustrations can be seen in over 250 publications, including Henry Williamson's Tarka the Otter and many ornithological magazines.
In 1954 he was elected a full member of the Royal Academy and a year before he died was awarded the OBE.
