23rd Apr, 2026 10:00
John Tunnard – The Brian Whitton Collection: Their Lives and Work
§ John Tunnard - Composition | oil on board
John Tunnard
(1900-1971)
Composition 1937,
acrylic, gouache, and ball point pen on board mounted on masonite,
signed and dated 1937,
61 x 40cms, 78 x 58cms in frame.
Provenance:
- Gimpel Fils Gallery Ltd, London, sold to Jan de Graaf- Feb. 1964, label verso
- Purchased at Christie's East, New York, Sale 8303, Impressionist, 20th Century and Contemporary Art, 10 November 1999.
Notes:
Jan de Graaf is a Dutch Postwar & Contemporary artist who was born in 1952.
"Increasingly, his paintings in the mid-1930's indicate Tunnard's desire to do something more ambitious. He produced this work after he encountered Miro's work at the International Surrealist Exhibition in London in 1936, and it remains one of the most abstract works he ever did and probably the closest ever in style of one particular artist. Both Miro and Tunnard went to this exhibition, but we'll probably never know if they talked together.
Prior to it's reappearance at auction in 1999, it was noted in Alan Peat and Brian A Whitton's book - John Tunnard His Life and Times, on page 145 "Composition 1937 - It seems probable that Tunnard painted a number of works at about this time, which have not been traced for this catalogue. Unless images are available, it is difficult to be sure whether two works of the same name and similar size are the same (as with No.78) whether works auctioned under a widely used name may already be entered in the catalogue under another name. For this reason the images shown in figures 17 and 18 have not been listed in the catalogue."
£20,000 - £30,000
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Auction: John Tunnard – The Brian Whitton Collection: Their Lives and Work, 23rd Apr, 2026
John Tunnard occupies a vital yet often understated position within British modernism. His work moves fluidly between abstraction, Surrealism and landscape, while resisting easy categorisation. Intellectual yet instinctive, modern yet rooted in the natural world, his paintings create a compelling visual language that feels increasingly resonant in today’s shifting cultural landscape. As interest in Surrealism continues to grow, Tunnard’s imaginative and psychologically charged works speak with renewed clarity to contemporary audiences.
This remarkable collection, assembled over a lifetime by Professor Brian Whitton, represents the most comprehensive private holding of works by John Tunnard ever to come to market. Scholarly in its scope and deeply personal in its formation, the collection traces the full arc of Tunnard’s artistic development, from early experimentation to mature, fully realised compositions.
A London viewing will take place at Hay Hill, Mayfair, strictly by appointment, on Friday 10th April and Saturday 11th April. For appointment availability contact joseph@andersonandgarland.com.
View a digital catalogue here.
Viewing
Tues 21/04/26 10am - 3pm
Wed 22/04/26 10am - 3pm
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