25th Jun, 2026 10:00
John Tunnard – The Brian Whitton Collection Part Two
§ John Tunnard - Spider's Nest | gouache
John Tunnard
(1900-1971)
"Spiders Nest",
gouache,
unsigned, 18th September 1954,
37 x 55cms, 53 x 70cms in frame.
Provenance:
'Sold to Cilas (Glossop)', Gorringe's 7th December 2011, Fine Art Antiques and Collectables.
Literature:
-Alan Peat and Brian A. Whitton, John Tunnard, His Life and Work, Scolar Press, 1997, cat 629.
Source of information:
Tunnard ledger LG.1.
Notes:
A rare picture painted in an era of relative stability and contentment for Tunnard, 'he had in some ways reverted to the life of his gentleman ancestors'. The Tunnards had bought a house at Lamorna, where Tunnard erected a studio down by the valley stream. He still taught for two days a week in Penzance and was an enthusiastic instructor. In 'Spider's Nest' "Tunnnard's Gothic fragility, his singing webs and neutral colour" are beautifully described, nature and abstraction are perfectly synthesised, "He would relax and go back to the cliffs and the moors, where he found the natural shapes which inspired and inform even the more abstract and geometrical of his later pictures". The white ruled and incised lines float in a mist of layered blues and red. As so often in his works, a horizon line, here described in orange meeting blue, sets the piece within a landscape. Closest to the viewer, rendered in thick decalcomania, can be seen the fruits of the spider's nights hunting. Tunnard was a keen collector of insect specimens, these were likely painted, and applied wings from his collection.
£5,000 - £7,000
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Auction: John Tunnard – The Brian Whitton Collection Part Two, 25th Jun, 2026
After our great success in late April with "John Tunnard – The Brian Whitton Collection: Their Lives and Work", we are proud to bring to auction the remaining works by Tunnard from Brian's collection. It includes many early pieces from the 1930's, which very rarely come to market, a couple of fabulous Surrealist transitional pieces, right through to works completed in later life. As a whole, they offer a unique insight into the life and mind of the man; restless, curious, and living in his own world, yet profoundly connected to the world around him, both physically and conceptually.
Of particular interest are works from the post-war period, like “Matrix” and “Rack”, both classic ‘Tunnardian’ creations, blending his love of nature with surrealist sensibilities. This was a period where his disparate interests and mastery of experimentation, atmosphere, and materiality were held in balance to create works that are distinctively his.
The sale also includes work by his father, Jack, and his wife, 'Bob', as well as some rare ‘imprints’ from his time as a fabric printer in Cornwall in the 1930's and 1940s.
Suffice it to say, there's plenty to excite all Tunnard enthusiasts and connoisseurs.
Viewing
Tues 23/06/26 10am-3pm
Wed 24/06/26 by appointment
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