Half-term fun for children at Chichester's Pallant House Gallery

Chichester’s Pallant House Gallery is offering plenty of children’s fun this half term – a chance to find Timothy the Tortoise.
Timothy the TortoiseTimothy the Tortoise
Timothy the Tortoise

As spokeswoman Sarah Jackson explains: “Timothy the Tortoise has gone missing in the Gallery! Can you help us find him?

“Timothy the Tortoise was the beloved pet of the 18th century naturalist Gilbert White, who frequently wrote about Timothy’s attempts to escape the garden in his ground-breaking book The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne. Timothy has been drawn by many great British artists and is one of the stars of Pallant House Gallery’s display ‘Drawn to Nature: Gilbert White and the Artists’. But now he has escaped the Print Room and has hidden himself around the Gallery!

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“This half term (October 20 – 31) families are invited to visit the Gallery and help us find Timothy. He may have hidden himself in a grandfather clock in the old townhouse or perhaps inside a picture. If you can find all the places where Timothy is hiding, you could win a prize!

“Kids go free at Pallant House Gallery but do be sure to book your tickets in advance. To find out more, visit http://pallant.org.uk/timothy-tortoise

“Timothy belonged to Gilbert White (1720 – 1793) who was one of the first naturalists, influencing both Charles Darwin and David Attenborough. His book, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, also inspired generations of writers and artists, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Virginia Woolf, Eric Ravilious and John Nash.

“The Natural History is the inspiration behind the Gallery’s Print Room exhibition, ‘Drawn to Nature: Gilbert White and the Artists’. The book was first published in 1789 and has remained in print ever since. White’s daily observations of the animals, birds and plant life found on his doorstep in Hampshire and in the South Downs in Sussex have inspired generations of exceptional artists.

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“The exhibition reveals some of the different visions of Selborne and its wildlife inspired by White’s writings, created by artists such as Thomas Bewick, Eric Ravilious, John Nash and Gertrude Hermes. It includes original prints, blocks and the First Edition illustrated by Samuel Hieronymous Grimm. It also includes new works created especially for the exhibition by contemporary artists such as Chris Brown, Angie Lewin and Mark Hearld.

“Together these artworks encourage us to look to the nature on our doorstep that is under threat from climate change and the impact of human activity.

‘Drawn to Nature: Gilbert White and the Artists’ is open at Pallant House Gallery until Sunday 15 November. The Timothy the Tortoise trail will run between 20 – 31 October 2020.