Tom Clifton Butterfield 1856-1937 Keighley

Tom Clifton Butterfield 1856-1937

The Keighley born son of a wool sorter, Tom attended the local Mechanics Institute art class from age 10 and by 13 was winning prizes for his work. In 1881 he gained his art master’s certificate and became assistant art master at the newly opened Keighley School of Art. He became head of the school in 1889 and over the next 20 years greatly expanded the range of subjects offered – many of which were taken up by wounded WW1 soldiers. His own art was predominantly watercolours of landscapes in the immediate Keighley area and he was a strong influence on his students who included Frances Watson Sunderland. Cruelly, for an artist he became blind in lateryears, but his recollection of landscape allowed him to describe a view with great accuracy.