Charles Tunnicliffe (1901 - 1979)

Charles Tunnicliffe

Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe was a British naturalist painter and illustrator.

Tunnicliffe drew from an early age and studied painting at King's College. He gained success and recognition with his woodcuts for Henry Williamson's novel Tarka the Otter (1932), and illustrated many other animal books. Tannicliffe was striking in his accurate and naturalistic depiction of birds and animals in their natural habitat, and these illustrations are still popular today.

Charles Tunnicliffe published several books of his bird illustrations and drew many illustrations for the covers of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' Bird Notes magazine. In 1954 he became a full member of the Royal Academy. From 1947 until his death he lived and worked on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, observing nature and birds.