Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers: Birds of a Feather - John Cyril Harrison

We were truly delighted to have had the pleasure of presenting a group of Harrison’s charming drawings from a private collection in our November 2025 auction, works that had rarely been seen on the open market. We are pleased to be offering further examples in our upcoming Old Master, British and European Art auction on 19 May.

If you are based in London, or happen to be nearby, we would be very happy to welcome you to our gallery in the heart of Cecil Court, where we are hosting a special display of works by John Cyril Harrison from Monday 30 March to Friday 17 April.

John Cyril Harrison was a major figure in British wildlife and ornithological art, celebrated for his exquisite watercolours of game birds, wildfowl, and raptors. Born in Wiltshire, he spent part of his childhood (1912–15) in British Columbia, an experience that perhaps first nurtured his deep connection with the natural world. After serving in the First World War, he went on to study at the Slade School of Fine Art.

Harrison made regular visits to Scotland, often in the company of the naturalist Seton Gordon, whose Days with the Golden Eagle he illustrated with great sensitivity. His travels also took him to Iceland to study wildfowl, and later in life to various parts of Africa, including South Africa and East Africa, where he recorded both birdlife and larger animals, with a particular affinity for birds of prey.

He spent much of his life in Norfolk, where the avifauna and the landscapes of the Broads became a lasting source of inspiration. Harrison’s work beautifully bridges scientific observation and artistic expression, and he is especially admired for his depictions of birds in flight, capturing both their anatomy and their spirit with remarkable precision and grace.

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