The Cattle Market

Pitchforth was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire. He studied at Wakefield School of Art in 1912-14, Leeds College of Art 1914-15 and 1919-20, his studies being interrupted by war service. He was then at the Royal College of Art 1920-25 and also visited Paris. Pitchforth’s first one-man show was at the London Artists’ Association in 1928, and the following year he exhibited with the London Group. He was an Official War Artist 1940-45. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1941 and was elected a member of the Royal Academy in 1953, his first retrospective having been held at Wakefield 10 years earlier. From 1945 Pitchforth travelled extensively, in Ceylon, Burma and South Africa. On return from there in 1948 he took up various teaching posts at Chelsea polytechnic, Camberwell, St Martin’s School of Art, Clapham and the Royal College of Art. His work is in the collections of the Tate Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum and in many other provincial and overseas galleries. He lived in London.