Charles Cundall
(1890-1971)
Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1961
Exhibit No431, “Ponta Venchio, Florence”
Painter, potter and stained glass artist, born in Stratford, Lancashire. After working as a designer for Pilkington’s Pottery Company under Gordon Forsyth, Cundall studied at Manchester School of Art, obtaining a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in 1912. After his World War I army service he returned to the Royal College in 1918, then from 1919 to 1920 he attended the Slade School of Art, and furthered his studies in Paris. Charles travelled widely in several continents and became noted for his panoramic pictures, such as Bank Holiday Brighton, in the Tate Gallery. He was a member of the New English Art Club, Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours, The Royal Scottish Academy (6) and other bodies. He was a prolific Royal Academy exhibitor (244) and had his first solo show at the Colnaghi Gallery in 1927. He was an Official War Artist in World War II, during which time he was sent in 1944 to Quebec. In the same year he was elected a Royal Academician. His wife was the artist Jacqueline Pietersen. His technical facility – especially when working on large panoramic canvases – was remarkable. His pictures are rich with texture, light and movement. He was equally at ease with aerial views, landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes, and was a master of crowd scenes. His work as an Official War Artist has never received the attention it merits. </p>