TANKS AND HOW TO
DRAW THEM
Terence Cuneo
THE STUDIO, London & New York, 1945
An original WW2 guide to drawing tanks and battle scenes, published in 1945, by the well known British artist Terence Cuneo. The book is very well illustrated throughout and includes practical advice on composition, techniques, and artists materials.
Terence Cuneo (1907-1996): was born in London, the son of Cyrus Cincinato Cuneo (1879-1916) and Nell Marion Tenison (1881-1964), artists who met while studying with Whistler in Paris. Cyrus Cuneo's elder brother Rinaldo Cuneo was also an acclaimed painter in San Francisco, as was his youngest brother Egisto Cuneo. Terence Cuneo studied at Sutton Valence School in Kent, Chelsea Polytechnic and the Slade School of Art, before working as an illustrator for magazines, books and periodicals. In 1936 he started working in oils, continuing with his illustration work. During WW2 he served as a sapper in the Royal Engineers, but also completed a small number of commissions for the War Artists' Advisory Committee, providing illustrations of tank and aircraft factories. He served and became good friends with fellow artist Cyril Parfitt. During the War, Cuneo was also commissioned by the Foreign Office to produce anti-Nazi drawings and cartoons. An exhibition of his war work was held at the Palaquin Fine Arts gallery in 1942.
After the war, Cuneo was commissioned to produce a series of works illustrating railways, bridges and locomotives. A significant point in his career was his appointment as official artist for the Coronation of Elizabeth II. He received more commissions from industry, which included depicting manufacturing, mineral extraction and road building, including the M1. He was most famous for his paintings of engineering subjects, particularly locomotives and the railway as a whole. Further success was achieved in his regimental commissions, battle scenes, and portraits - including H.M. the Queen, and Field Marshal Montgomery.
Condition:
In very good condition. The boards are in very good condition, with minimal signs of use. The dust jacket is in good condition, with some minor wear and some marks to the rear panel. The binding is good and secure. The text and illustrations are in very good condition.
Published: 1945
Red boards with original dust jacket
Illustrated with line drawings
Dimensions: 135mm x 170mm
Pages: 63
