Cyril Parfitt
| Cyril Parfitt | |
|---|---|
| Born |
6 February 1914 Norwich, Norfolk, England |
| Died | 30 October 2011 (aged 97) |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Gateway School and Leicester College of Art |
| Known for | Landscape, Fantasy, Illustration and Portrait |
| Notable work | 'Looking Back' and 'The New Arrivals' |
Cyril Harry Parfitt (6 February 1914 – 30 October 2011) was a British artist. He was based on the Isle of Thanet in Kent and works using mixed materials and techniques. His notable works include the hand-rendered pencil drawing 'The New Arrivals' which was hung in the Royal Academy.
Cyril was born in Norwich, Norfolk, England. He attended the prestigious Gateway School in Leicester and then won a scholarship to Leicester College of Art where he studied for three years. His passions were art and music, he also played the accordion well as a young man. He went on to play both piano and electric keyboard which he still enjoys. He speaks fluent German and cited the reason for learning it as wanting to enjoy reading Goethe in the language it was written. His early career saw him serve an apprenticeship as a lithographic artist.
He worked as a graphic designer in Leicester where his work was frequently seen on many well-known products, until he joined the army at the outbreak of Second World War. Because of his experience as a lithographic artist he was eventually posted to Wales where he was trained in the art of map making and given the task of drafting invasion maps. Here he was to establish a close enduring friendship with the renowned artist Terence Cuneo.
Taking this skill with him at the end of the Second World War, he joined a new Government Department, Directorate of Overseas Surveys (DOS) where he ran his own experimental section. Here he was nicknamed The Wizard of DOS such was his extraordinary talent and problem solving abilities. One of his colleagues once said 'You can put Cyril in a room with absolutely nothing and he will still somehow manage to produce something utterly wonderful'.
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