John Piper

John Piper

Born in Surrey in 1903, John Piper was a painter, printmaker, draughtsman, designer, and writer. He was a clerk in his father's legal firm until his father's death in 1926, after which he took up art, studying at the Royal College of Art. From 1928 to 1933 he wrote as an art critic for ‘the Listener’ and ‘the Nation’ and was among the first to recognize such contemporaries as William Coldstream and Victor Pasmore.

Piper’s work often focused on the British landscape, especially churches and monuments, and included tapestry designs, book jackets, screen-prints, photography, fabrics and ceramics. He turned from abstraction early in his career, concentrating on a more naturalistic but distinctive approach, often working in varying styles throughout his career. He was an official war artist in WWII and his depictions of bomb damaged churches and landmarks, most notably Coventry Cathedral, made Piper a household name.

His work was acquired by several public collections, including the Arts Council Collection, the Laing Gallery, the National Trust and the Government Art Collection. In his later years he produced many prints of architectural landscapes, but passed away in 1992.

Exhibitions at Gallagher & Turner:
101 Years of British Art
15 September - 21 October 2017