ART collectors turned up with “pockets stuffed full of cash” after a retired boxer’s secret collection of more than 400 pieces of artwork was found in his unassuming home, it has been revealed.
Labourer Eric Tucker’s love of painting was only discovered in July last year when his family found his Warrington home stuffed with canvases.
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The collection saw thousands line up around the block for the chance to see it – with his artwork now on show at the Warrington Art Gallery from this weekend.
And his family said they had held off selling his artwork to see his last wishes of having his paintings displayed in a gallery.
Tony Tucker, Eric’s brother, told The Sun Online: “There were a couple of people who came to see the pictures when we displayed them last year at Eric’s house who had pockets stuffed full of cash and were very keen to buy paintings there and then.
“We are focussing on fulfilling Eric’s wishes expressed in the last months of his life to have his work shown in the local gallery in Warrington. In order to do this we have to keep the collection together – we’re still cataloguing it due to the number of pieces.”
But he admitted the family would ultimately have to sell the paintings due to the sheer number.
Tucker's only art training had been through a sign-writing apprenticeship he took as a teen, having left school at 14 with no qualifications.
But now, his oil and water colour pieces have been praised for capturing the heart of working class life in his hometown.
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The pieces - likened to the work of renowned English artist LS Lowry - had been found stashed around the home, including in the garden shed.
He said the family would most likely have to sell some of the pieces due to the massive number.
Tony Tucker, 77, and sister Karen Kenna, 68, said Eric was inspired by Edward Burra, an artist known for capturing scenes in the urban underworld and Harlem scenes in the 1930s.
After nearly seven decades of creating artwork, Eric was ultimately prevented by arthritis from continuing his passion.
Eric had lived almost his entire live in the same end-terrace home on St Georges Crescent in Warrington, with his family astounded by just how many people flocked to the property to see his work.
Eric was born in Warrington in 1932, leaving school at 14 and getting an apprenticeship in sign-writing.
But instead of taking up the vocation, he went on to become a labourer, working mainly on building sites.
Aside from his National Service, he also fought as an amateur and professional boxer.
THE LOWDOWN ON LS LOWRY: The English artist who captured North West England
Lawrence Stephen Lowry, born in 1887, is renowned for his artwork that captured the life of industrial districts in North West England.
The artist became particularly famous for his work in depicting unpopulated landscapes and brooding portraits in the mid 20th century.
He also became known for his style of painting human figures as 'matchstick men'.
But Lowry is not just famous for his artwork - currently holding the record for the most honours rejected.
Among the awards he turned down included a knighthood in 1968.
It is his work in depicting Pendlebury, Lancashire, where he lived and worked for more than 40 years, and also Salford, that has led people to compare Eric Tucker's to that of Lowry's.
Similarly, his "marionette" work was found after his death.
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The museum exhibition will include a broad selection of Tucker’s paintings and drawings, including favourites from the house exhibition and many never-before-seen images, alongside a recreation of the small front room in which every painting was created.
Eric Tucker: The Unseen Artist runs from Saturday 23 November 2019 to Sunday 23 February 2020 at Warrington Museum & Art Gallery and is free to visit.
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