Piper, John: Anvin s/s Ternoise, Pas de Calais
£8,500.00
A lovely country landscape typical of works undertaken by Piper in France in the late 1950s. The watercolour is in excellent condition with strong colours, signed and inscribed with the location and date and in its original gilt frame. A label to the rear shows it was exhibited at The New Arts Centre, London.
I am grateful to Hugh-Fowler Wright for the following interpretation of the painting, Hugh is the author, with David Fraser Jenkins, of ‘The Art of John Piper’, 2016, and with Alan Powers, of ‘Piper in Print: John Piper’s Books, Periodicals, Ephemera and Textiles’, 2010.
‘John Piper spent many family holidays touring France in the mid to late 19650s. He targeted France for its wealth of early stained glass and carvings and that these could feed into and stimulate his new-found success in gaining commissions for stained glass.
At Anvin, he deftly and delicately captures the gentle sweep of the road as it approaches the settlement using the church spire as a central point of interest. However the real attention and intent was to portray the light and natural rural quality of the whole scene with roadside flora wonderfully highlighted.’
More images can be provided on request.
Artist: John Piper (British, 1903-1992), signed
Title and date: Anvin s/s Ternoise, P de C, c. 1957
Size: 35.0 x 52.0 cms.
Description
Artist description:
Born in Epsom, John Egerton Christmas Piper studied at Richmond School of Art and the Royal College of Art from 1926-8. In the mid 1930a, after a visit to Paris, he turned to abstraction. He became a member of the London Group in 1933 and the ‘Seven and Five’ group in 1934-5. During this period he became friends with Oliver Simon of the Curwen Press and his interest in lithography and print making grew. During the Second World War, Piper was appointed as an official war artist recording the effects of the blitz on Britain’s buildings. After the war, he became a Trustee of the Tate and National Galleries and in 1959 he became a member of the Royal Fine Art Commission. Piper is best known for his extensive studies of British architecture and landscape in oil, watercolour and print, and for his photography, stained glass, ceramics, fabric design, murals, stage sets and costume design. His work is held in many Museums and Galleries.