Fowl In A Damson Tree - Charles Tunnicliffe

A precise and decorative study of poultry perched in a flowering damson tree by British naturalist artist Charles Tunnicliffe.

Charles Tunnicliffe, a celebrated British artist and illustrator, possessed a singular ability to capture the anatomy and character of birds. This work, Fowl In A Damson Tree, demonstrates his technical precision and his observational approach to natural history. Tunnicliffe spent much of his life in Anglesey, where he recorded the rural life and wildlife of the region with a disciplined hand. His background in printmaking and his training at the Royal College of Art informed his clean, graphic style.

The composition features a vertical arrangement of poultry perched upon the dark, angular branches of a damson tree. The white cockerel serves as the visual anchor, its long, flowing tail feathers contrasting with the darker, mottled plumage of the hens above and below. Tunnicliffe employs a muted, atmospheric background, which allows the white blossoms and the birds to occupy the foreground clearly. The use of gouache provides a density to the feathers, while the watercolour washes create a soft, cool tone across the sky.

Tunnicliffe often worked for publishers, providing illustrations for books such as Henry Williamson's Tarka the Otter. His work is characterised by a lack of sentimentality, focusing instead on the physical reality of his subjects. In this piece, the birds are rendered with anatomical accuracy, yet the arrangement possesses a decorative quality reminiscent of traditional East Asian bird-and-flower paintings. The contrast between the stark, dark branches and the delicate white flowers creates a rhythmic pattern that guides the eye through the vertical space. This print captures the quiet, observational nature of Tunnicliffe's practice, offering a view of domestic fowl that elevates the subject through careful composition and controlled colour application.