John Egerton Christmas Piper

John Egerton Christmas Piper

From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Piper_%28artist%29

John Egerton Christmas Piper, CH (13 December 1903 – 28 June 1992) was a 20th-century English painter and printmaker. For much of his life he lived at Fawley Bottom in Buckinghamshire, near Henley-on-Thames.

Life

Piper, the son of a solicitor, was born in Epsom, Surrey, in 1903. He was educated at Epsom College and trained at the Richmond School of Art, followed by the Royal College of Art in London. He turned from abstraction early in his career, concentrating on a more naturalistic but distinctive approach.

As a child, John Piper lived in Epsom which was, in those days, in the countryside. He would go exploring on his bike, and would draw and paint pictures of old churches and monuments on the way. He started making his own guide books at a young age, complete with pictures and information. When it came to finishing at Epsom College, Piper wanted to go to art school, to study to become an artist. However, Piper's father Charles disagreed, and wanted him to be a solicitor like himself. They formed an agreement that John Piper would work for his father in London for three years, and then could pursue whatever career he chose. However, John failed the law exams. Charles Piper died soon after, so John was free to become an artist. His work often focused on the British landscape, especially churches.

Piper was appointed an official war artist in World War II from 1940-1942.[1] The morning after the Air Raid that destroyed Coventry Cathedral, Piper produced his first painting of bomb damage, Interior of Coventry Cathedral now exhbited at the Herbert Art Gallery. Jeffery Daniels in The Times described the painting of the ruins as "all the more poignant for the exclusion of a human element". It has been described as "Britain's Guernica".[2]

He collaborated with many others, including the poet John Betjeman (on the Shell Guides[3][4]), as well as with the potter Geoffrey Eastop and the artist Ben Nicholson. In later years he produced many limited-edition prints.

Along with Patrick Reyntiens he designed the stained glass windows for the new Coventry Cathedral, and later for the Chapel of Robinson College, Cambridge. Washington National Cathedral prominently features his large window, "The Land Is Bright". He also designed windows for many smaller churches. Piper created tapestries for Chichester Cathedral and Hereford Cathedral. He was a set designer for the theatre, including the Kenton Theatre in Henley and Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff. He also designed many of the premiere productions of Benjamin Britten's operas at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Royal Opera House, La Fenice and the Aldeburgh Festival, as well as for some of the operas of Alun Hoddinott.

Piper also wrote extensively on modern art in books and articles.[5][6][7][8] With his wife, Myfanwy Piper, he founded the contemporary art journal, Axis.

His children include painters Edward Piper and Sebastian Piper, and his grandchildren include painter Luke Piper and sculptor Henry Piper.

His auction record, £325,250, was set at Sotheby's on 15 July 2008 for "Forms on Dark Blue", a 3' by 4' oil painted in 1936. [9]

'''Exhibitions'''

182 of his works are in the Tate collection, including etchings and some earlier abstractions. Major retrospective exhibitions have been held at Tate Britain (1983–1984),[10] the Dulwich Picture Gallery,[11] the Imperial War Museum,[12] the River and Rowing Museum,[13][14] and the Museum of Reading.

Quotations

Abstraction is a luxury that has been left to the present day to exploit.
Abstraction is the way to the heart — it is not the heart itself.

Stained glass

The following are examples of stained glass designed by John Piper:

The Church of St Mary The Virgin, Lamberhurst, Kent East window in the Chapel of St John, Lichfield, Staffordshire East window in St Peter's Church, Babraham, Cambridgeshire The Baptistry Window at Coventry Cathedral.

References

1.^ Tate bio Retrieved April 27, 2010 2.^ "In Search of England". British Masters. BBC. 18 July 2011. 3.^ Archaeology: A reference handbook by Alan Edwin Day, page 254. ISBN 978-0-208-01672-0. 4.^ Guide to Reference Books by Eugene P. Sheehy, page 636. ISBN 978-0-8389-0390-2. 5.^ "The Listener articles 1933-"Young English Painters:Contemporary English Drawing" 6.^ "Lost,A Valuable Object" an essay in Myfanwy Piper's anthology "The Painters Object" 1937 7.^ 'Englands Early Sculptors' Architectural Review 1937 8.^ 'British Romantic Artists' essay in the series 'The British People in Pictures' 1940 9.^ 20th Century British Art sale, Sotheby's. 10.^ Jenkins, David Fraser, John Piper, London: Tate Gallery Publications, 1983 (ISBN 0-905005-94-5). 11.^ Jenkins, David Fraser & Spalding, Frances, John Piper in the 1930s — Abstraction on the Beach, Merrell Publishers, 2003 (ISBN 1-85894-223-3). 12.^ Jenkins, David Fraser, John Piper — The Forties, Philip Wilson Publishers, 2000 (ISBN 0-85667-529-6). 13.^ John Piper — Master of Diversity exhibition, River and Rowing Museum, 2000. 14.^ Bowen, Jane (curator), John Piper centenary Crossing boundaries, 2002 (ISBN 0-9535571-4-6). [edit] Further readingLevinson, Orde, The Prints of John Piper: Quality and Experiment — A Catalogue Raisonné 1923–91: Revised and Expanded Third Edition, Farnham, Lund Humphries, 2010 (ISBN 978-1-84822-063-8). Bowen, Jane (curator), John Piper centenary Crossing boundaries, 2002 (ISBN 0-9535571-4-6). Davis, Howard, A Great Job Of Work For All Time. John Piper - Unknown Mosaicist, Andamento No.3 2009 [British Association for Modern Mosaic] OCLC 226080837 Heathcote, David, A Shell Eye on England: The Shell County Guides 1934-1984, Faringdon: Libri Publishing, 2010 (ISBN 978-1- 907471-07-0) Jenkins, David Fraser & Piper, John, A Painter's Camera, London: Tate Gallery Publications,1987 (ISBN 0-946590-81-8) Jenkins, David Fraser, John Piper — The Robert and Rena Lewin Gift to the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1992 (ISBN 1-85444-025-X). Ingrams, Richard & Piper, John, Piper's Places: John Piper in England and Wales, London: Chatto & Windus, The Hogarth Press, 1983 (ISBN 0-7011-2550-0). Levinson, Orde, Quality and Experiment: The Prints of John Piper — A Catalogue Raisonné 1932–91, London: Lund Humphries Publishers, 1996 (ISBN 0-85331-690-2). Spalding, Frances, John Piper, Myfanwy Piper: Lives in Art, Oxford University Press, 2009 (ISBN 978-0-19-956761-4). Powers, Alan, et al., Piper in print, Artist's Choice Edition, 2010 (ISBN 978-0-9558343-2-5). West, Anthony, John Piper, Secker & Warburg, 1979 (ISBN 0-436-56591-9). Woods, S. John, John Piper Paintings Drawings & Theatre Designs 1932–1954, New York: Curt Valentin, 1955. Wortley, Laura, John Piper — Master of Diversity, Henley-on-Thames: River and Rowing Museum, 2000 (ISBN 0-9535571-1-1) OCLC 55970238

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: John Piper (artist) 

Artcyclopedia entry Artnet entry Shell Guides website David Heathcote's A Shell Eye on England John Piper at the Tate Gallery Archive Photo Film about John Piper in the Arts Council England Film Collection "Christ Between Saints Peter and Paul — Stained Glass designed by John Piper". Glass. Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/glass/glass_features/stained_glass.... Retrieved 2007-06-16.

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From Sue Young Histories

Biographies of Homeopaths:===

http://sueyounghistories.com/archives/2010/07/02/john-egerton-chris...

John Egerton Christmas Piper, CH 1903 – 1992 (photo from the National Portrait Gallery) was a British painter and printmaker.

John Piper was an advocate of homeopathy and a patient of Michael Macready (recommended to Piper by Edward Benjamin Britten 1st Baron Britten),

‘Piper suffered digestive problems around 1963 and, on Edward Benjamin Britten 1st Baron Britten‘s recommendation, began seeing Dr Michael Macready, a homeopathic doctor in Belgrave Square, who advised a diet that forbade milk, butter, and eggs‘.

Piper was also a friend of Christopher Isherwood,

John Piper, the son of a solicitor (youngest, by six years, of the three sons of Charles Alfred Piper and his wife), was born in Epsom in 1903. He was educated at Epsom College and trained at the Richmond School of Art, followed by the Royal College of Art in London. He turned from abstraction early in his career, concentrating on a more naturalistic but distinctive approach.

As a child, John Piper lived in Epsom which was , in those days, in the countryside. He would go exploring on his bike, and would draw and paint pictures of old churches and monuments on the way. He started making his own guide books at a young age, complete with pictures and information.

When it came to finishing at Epsom College Piper wanted to go to art school, to study to become an artist. However, Piper’s father Charles disagreed, and wanted him to be a solicitor like himself. They formed an agreement that John Piper would work for his father in London for three years, and then could pursue whatever career he chose. However, John failed the Law exams. Charles Piper died soon after, so John was free to become an artist.

Piper was appointed an official war artist in World War II from 1940-1942. He collaborated with many others, including the poet John Betjeman (on the Shell Guides), as well as with the potter Geoffrey Eastop and the artist Ben Nicholson. In later years he produced many limited-edition prints.

His work often focused on the British landscape, especially churches. Along with Patrick Reyntiens he designed the stained glass windows for the new Coventry Cathedral. He also designed windows for many smaller churches.

Piper created tapestries for Chichester Cathedral and Hereford Cathedral. He was a set designer for the theatre, including the Kenton Theatre, a theatre in Henley, Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, the Royal Opera House for a production of Edward Benjamin Britten 1st Baron Britten‘s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and for the operas of Alun Hoddinott.

In 1929 he left to marry fellow student, Eileen Holding. The early 30′s saw him forming friendships with such artists as Henry Moore, Ivon Hitchens, Ben Nicholson and Paul Nash. He exhibited regularly with the London Group and the 7 & 5 Society and was also writing articles for various periodicals & magazines.

Piper also wrote extensively on modern art in books and articles. With his wife, Myfanwy Piper, he founded the contemporary art journal, Axis.

His children include painters Edward Piper and Sebastian Piper, and his grandchildren include painter Luke Piper and sculptor Henry Piper.

182 of his works are in the Tate collection, including etchings and some earlier abstractions. Major retrospective exhibitions have been held at Tate Britain (1983-1984), the Dulwich Picture Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, the River and Rowing Museum and the Museum of Reading.

An operation in 1987 left him visibly damaged, he was also suffering from the onset of Alzheimers. He died at his home in Fawley Bottom, Oxfordshire on the 28th of June 1992.