# Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/charles-frederick-tunnicliffe/
Profile generated: 2026-05-04T19:38:01.935Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1901-12-01
- Nationality: British, English
- Movements: Naturalistic wildlife art
- Common media: Oil painting, Wood engraving, Watercolour, Illustration (book and print)

## About Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe

Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe (1901–1979) was an English painter, wood engraver, and illustrator celebrated as one of the foremost naturalistic wildlife artists of the twentieth century. Appointed OBE and elected a Royal Academician, Tunnicliffe devoted his career to depicting British birds and rural wildlife with meticulous observational accuracy. He spent most of his working life on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, where the surrounding landscape and coastal habitats directly informed his art. He is widely recognised for his illustrations for Henry Williamson's novel Tarka the Otter, alongside extensive work for Ladybird Books, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and numerous private press editions. His oeuvre spans oil paintings, watercolours, wood engravings, and etchings, held in public collections including the Tate and the Royal Academy. Tunnicliffe's work bridges fine art and natural history illustration, making him a significant figure in both fields.

## Common works and media

Common works encountered at auction and in appraisal contexts include wood engravings and etchings of British birds, watercolour and gouache wildlife studies, oil paintings of game birds and rural scenes, book illustrations (notably Tarka the Otter and Ladybird nature titles), and commercial prints and greeting-card art. Wood engravings are the most frequently traded medium, often issued as signed limited editions. Watercolour studies of shorebirds and farmland wildlife are also widely collected.

## Market and appraisal context

Tunnicliffe's works appear regularly at auction, most frequently as wood engravings, etchings, and watercolours of British bird and wildlife subjects. Original oil paintings are less common and tend to attract stronger bids. Valuation depends heavily on medium, with signed limited-edition prints and original plates commanding premiums over commercially reproduced book illustrations. Provenance linking a work to his Anglesey studio period, condition of the print or painting surface, and the rarity of the subject composition are key factors. Collectors should distinguish between original graphic works and the many reproduction prints and greeting-card designs issued during his lifetime and posthumously.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine published identity research from library-authority and museum sources with auction-house records, sale dates, realised prices, and comparable lot data when those records are available. For Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe, identity and biographical data are grounded in the Library of Congress Name Authority File, VIAF, RKD, and Wikidata. Market context draws on published biographical sources and the breadth of Invaluable auction listings. Specific price guidance requires review of current comparable auction results.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2960356
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Tunnicliffe
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/45095556/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79060667
- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/78459