Important auction unites science and art
Tony Henderson on a sale which will bring together two remarkable men – the scientist and the artist
The distinguished career of a North East scientist who became a world expert in his field took him to at least 80 countries.
Prof Brian Whitton was appointed as a lecturer in botany at Durham University where he spent his entire academic career.
And amid his research on river systems and algae he also became an expert on leading English abstract painter John Tunnard, building up an extensive collection of the artist’s work.
Prof Whitton died last year, aged 90, and now a first phase auction of his collection will be sold in Newcastle on April 23, with an estimated worth of more than £300,000. Part Two will follow later this year.
He held what is widely regarded as the finest private collection of the artist’s work, organised several exhibitions of Tunnard’s art and, with Alan Peat, wrote the definitive book, John Tunnard, his life and work. In 2000, there was a centenary exhibition at Durham University.
Prof Whitton also bequeathed four of Tunnard’s important works to The Tate Gallery in London.
Julian Thomson, managing director at auctioneers Anderson & Garland, said: “This collection offers a rare opportunity to encounter Tunnard’s work as it was truly lived with and understood.
“Brian Whitton brought extraordinary insight to his collecting, and it is a privilege to present works that reflect such depth of knowledge and personal connection.”
A London viewing will take place at Hay Hill, Mayfair, on April 10 and 11 by appointment, followed by a public viewing at Anderson House in Newcastle on April 21 and 22, from 10am to 3pm.
A talk and tour titled A Singular Vision: The Legacy of John Tunnard in a Private Collection will be held at Anderson House on April 21 from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, led by auctioneer and director Fred Wyrley-Birch.
He said: “This is a collection shaped by a lifetime of scholarship, instinct and passion. We are proud to bring it to auction and to play a part in securing Tunnard’s place within the broader story of British art.”
Prof Whitton also established a national collection of the Corydalis flower at his Durham home, which he opened to the public once a year.
Tunnard, who died in 1971, was an opponent of hunting and authored the book Slaughter of Beauty: Otter Hunting.
Highlights from the auction include:
Lot 32, Painting, 1948
This belongs to a group of large-scale abstractions produced in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Estimated at £30,000 to £50,000.
Lot 7, Starting Point, 1960
This reflects the anxieties and possibilities of the early nuclear age. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1960, its imagery has been linked to contemporary developments in atomic science, particularly France’s first nuclear test earlier that year. Estimated at £30,000 to £50,000.
Lot 30, Promise, 1967
A powerful and deeply personal late work, Promise was painted shortly after Tunnard suffered a stroke in 1966, with its progression from darkness to light suggesting recovery, endurance and renewal. Estimated at £20,000 to £30,000.
The full catalogue is available to view at www.andersonandgarland.com