CECIL ALDIN

Post -226 -by Gautam Shah

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SUNDAY Feature on ART of Architecture

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Cecil Charles Windsor Aldin (1870-1935), was a British artist and illustrator. His father was an amateur artist and he inspired Cecil to start drawing at a young age. Cecil’s mastery was innate which matured through his love for animals. Years of sketching of dogs, horses, foxes, in fields, streets, and zoo, refined his skills.

He is known for his paintings and sketches of animals, fox hunting, sports and village scenes. He drew from life and his ability to quickly catch the essence of animal behaviour was extra ordinary. Aldin executed and rural buildings in chalk, pencil and also wash sketching. His compositions have zoned colours bounded by thin outlines. There is little attention to shadow casting.

After the WW-I, besides creating drawing animals he devoted himself to superb prints of old inns, cathedrals and manor houses. His book illustrations were very popular.

In 1894 he illustrated stories from Rudyard Kipling’s Second Jungle Book and also the 1910 edition of Charles Dickens’ the Pickwick Papers. Other works included The Bunch Book, about Bunch, a Sealyham Terrier, by James Douglas.

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