Eric Tucker: Watercolours | Connaught Brown

Connaught Brown and Alon Zakaim Fine Art are delighted to present a selection of fourteen watercolours by Eric Tucker.
Tucker's living room in Lancashire, 2019

Eric Tucker
1932-2018
Whilst Eric Tucker had no desire for artistic recognition during his lifetime, he was an extraordinarily dedicated and talented painter. It was only towards the end of his life that he finally decided he wanted his work to be seen by his friends, family, neighbours and the wider community, who had been his models and source of inspiration. He expressed a wish that his work be shown at the Warrington Museum & Art Gallery.

Upon Tucker's death in July 2018, his family found the life’s work of an outstanding artist, with artwork filling every floor, draw and crevice of his home. This led to a solo exhibition of his paintings at Warrington Museum (November 2019 – February 2020), which proved to be one of the gallery’s most popular shows. The unearthing of Tucker's work marks an important discovery of an artist who has been hidden for too long.
Tucker (third from right) in the pub with friends, c.1956

Born and raised in Warrington, Tucker painted the world he knew and was a part of – the working class industrial North. The watercolours in this exhibition focus upon Tucker’s bustling pub and street scenes and are an ode to his community and its people. His paintings capture the eccentricity of everyday life and he portrays his subjects with warmth, liveliness and humour.

Tucker was a self-taught artist, spending hours in Manchester’s museums and galleries studying the works of George Grosz, Rembrandt and the Pre-Raphaelites. However, it was the work of Edward Burra and L.S. Lowry that had the greatest impact on his art.
- Edward Burra, 'The Snack Bar' 1930, oil on canvas, 30 1/8 x 22 in, 76.4 x 55.9cm
  Tate Collection
- Eric Tucker, 'A Fag and a Natter', Watercolour and pencil on paper, 10 7/8 x 15 in, 27.5 x 38 cm
Tucker and Burra

During the 1930s, Edward Burra travelled the world portraying the people he met. Working largely in watercolour, he rejoiced in the bar scenes of Marseilles, Harlem and Toulon, making keen observations with wry humour and satire. His sharp social commentary inspired Tucker, who was also drawn to representing those on the fringe of society. Both artists elevate the ordinary, creating surreal and playful depictions that capture the drama of everyday life.
- Imperial War Museum, London
  LS Lowry, 'Going To Work', 1943, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in, 45.7 x 60.9 cm
- Eric Tucker, 'Backstreet Crowd', Watercolour and pencil on paper, 14 5/8 x 17 3/4 in, 37 x 45 cm
Tucker and Lowry

Eric Tucker’s work has been compared to that of L.S. Lowry, who he once met at a gallery in Manchester. Like Lowry, Tucker’s paintings of life in industrial areas of Northern England exude vitality. However, whilst Lowry’s work is often more removed, surveying the area from afar, Tucker’s paintings are more intimate. In Tucker's pub scenes, he explores the unique personalities of the men and women who jostle for space in the frame, animated in conversation as they smoke and drink.
Available Works
- Eric Tucker
  The 11.15 Gang
  Watercolour and pencil on paper
  15 x 21 5/8 in, 38 x 55 cm
  Signed lower right 'ETucker'
  
  On view at Connaught Brown
  Sold
- Eric Tucker
  Whisky in Hand, Ciggie in Mouth
  Watercolour and pencil on paper
  10 5/8 x 13 3/4 in, 27 x 35 cm
  
  Signed lower left 'ETucker'
  
  On view at Connaught Brown
  Sold

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