Student Artwork Guide — Red Squirrels

Name Class Date

Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe, Red Squirrels. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe topimpressionists.com/en/artists/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe/
Artist’s dates: 1901 – 1979
Original size: 76 x 64 cm

Copyright This work is still under copyright. Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe died in 1979; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2049. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Red Squirrels — Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe

How big is it?

The original measures 76 × 64 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When might this have been painted?

1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970

08
918
1928
2938
3948
4958
5968
6978

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 78 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe (1901–1979) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1927 Main working years: 1927–1948 Late works: from 1948

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Ducks (study), 1940 topimpressionists.com/en/art/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-ducks-study-AQV9R5-en/
Margaret Welch, 1950 topimpressionists.com/en/art/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-margaret-welch-AQV9QM-en/
A Drift of Swine, 1948 topimpressionists.com/en/art/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-a-drift-of-swine-AQV9R9-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-red-squirrels-AQV9RF-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Gray #6b6b5b

Catalogued palette

#6B6B5B
#44463F
#D0D2C7
#A99068

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Main colour name: Gray
Intensity: Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Discordant Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe over the last twelve months — 2 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 75.0%
2 United States of America 25.0%

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 4 most looked-at works by Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe

1 Red Squirrels this painting 40.0%
2 Margaret Welch, 1950 20.0%
3 The Cattle Market, Waters Green, Cheshire, 1940 20.0%
4 A Drift of Swine, 1948 20.0%

Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 17 works by this artist, of which 4 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 1 of them, with 40.0% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Artist

Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe

Born in Langley, United Kingdom

early life and formative years

charles frederick tunnicliffe, a renowned naturalistic painter from the united kingdom, was born on december 1, 1901, in langley, macclesfield, england. as the fourth surviving child of william tunnicliffe and margaret, his early years were spent living on a farm in sutton, where he developed a deep connection with wildlife.

artistic career

tunnicliffe's artistic journey began at the macclesfield school of art in 1916. he later won a scholarship to the royal college of art in london, further honing his skills. in 1929, he married winifred wonnacott, a fellow art student from hollywood, near belfast.

notable works and achievements

tunnicliffe's work is characterized by its precision and accuracy, showcasing birds in their natural settings. some of his notable works include:

tarka the otter, a novel illustrated for henry williamson in 1927, which brought him international acclaim.

brooke bond tea cards, seen by millions of young people in the uk during the 1950s and 1960s.

ladybird books, featuring his naturalistic illustrations.

cover illustrations for the royal society for the protection of birds's (rspb) magazine bird notes, starting from march 1953.

legacy and honors

tunnicliffe's body of work is now housed at oriel ynys môn (the anglesey gallery), near llangefni. he was honored with:

1944: associate of the royal academy

1954: fellow of the royal academy

1975: rspb gold medal

1978: obe (order of the british empire)

view tunnicliffe's artwork on AllPaintingsStore.com: [https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe](https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe) explore more about tunnicliffe's life and work on wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/charles_tunnicliffe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/charles_tunnicliffe)

Where to read more

The artist Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe topimpressionists.com/en/artists/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe/
Similar works More works to compare topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-red-squirrels-AQV9RF-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Red Squirrels

topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-red-squirrels-AQV9RF-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Tunnicliffe, Charles Frederick. Red Squirrels. n.d., https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-red-squirrels-AQV9RF-en/
APA: Tunnicliffe, Charles Frederick (n.d.). Red Squirrels [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-red-squirrels-AQV9RF-en/
Chicago: Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe. Red Squirrels. n.d. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-red-squirrels-AQV9RF-en/
Harvard: Tunnicliffe, Charles Frederick (n.d.) Red Squirrels. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe-red-squirrels-AQV9RF-en/

Red Squirrels — Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Look back at Ducks (study) (1940), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
What might the artist have wanted you to feel?
If you could ask the artist one question about this work, what would it be?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

Toward which tone does "Red Squirrels" lean?

"Red Squirrels" leans toward a green to violet spectrum tone.

Where can I find statistics about "Red Squirrels" by Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe?

The Stats page of "Red Squirrels" by Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe presents public visit statistics: monthly visits of this artwork, a comparison with the artist's most viewed works, and where its visitors come from.

Is "Red Squirrels" more bright or more dark overall?

The recorded values for "Red Squirrels" by Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe are: balanced brightness, soft shadow luminance.