Fulcrum
- Artist: John Tunnard
- Date: 1939
- Medium: Oil paint and graphite on hardboard
- Dimensions: support: 445 x 813 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the “Fulcrum” by John Tunnard. Created in 1939, it’s a bold mix of oil and graphite on hardboard that leans into the surrealist tradition that Tunnard championed in Britain. The picture throws up a series of oddly‑shaped objects—think hybrid of bridges, boats, and industrial gizmos—interlaced by taut, almost invisible wires that suggest circuitry or structural support. The title hints at the idea of a pivotal point in a machine, a literal fulcrum that holds everything together, and at the same time a metaphor for the machine‑laden modern world that Tunnard saw as the center of contemporary life.
Tunnard was known for his experimental techniques and for drawing on the modern machine. In 1939 he showed this work at Peggy Guggenheim’s London gallery, and there’s a funny story that he crossed the private view by doing three somersaults just to catch the attention of a potential collector. The painting later entered the collection through the Chantrey Bequest in 1978, a testament to its enduring appeal.
So, as you stand before this piece, notice how the stark, angular forms challenge your sense of reality, pulling you into that surreal, mechanically‑laden dreamscape that Tunnard imagined.
See it in person
Fulcrum is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
