John Egerton Christmas Piper CH, Hon. RWS

1903 - 1992

John Piper was born at Epsom, his father the owner of bootmaking and printing businesses, and after a period in family businesses, he attended Richmond School of Art, going on to the Royal College of Art. He went on to become a consummate painter, printmaker, watercolourist and designer of stained-glass windows. He was also a designer of opera and theatre sets, ceramics, tapestries and fabrics, as well as a photographer, writer and commentator on art and architecture. After a period of abstraction, his work focused in particular on the British and French landscape and built heritage, especially churches, country houses and monuments. Piper was an Official War Artist in World War II, and his wartime depictions of bomb-damaged churches and landmarks, perhaps most notably those of Coventry Cathedral, made Piper a household name. His work as an artist and commentator became central to the development and understanding of Modern British Art, from the 1930s to the 1980s, and he was a great collaborator with other leading arts practitioners, including his second wife, the librettist, Myfanwy Evans. His work was acquired by many public collections around the world. In his later years, he produced many limited-edition prints and book illustrations. After his death, Piper's popularity dipped a little, but it is now back up where it was in his lifetime, as one of the outstanding British artists of his time. He was also a generous mentor to an aspiring young artist, as I know to my eternal gratitude, even if ... show more

John Piper was born at Epsom, his father the owner of bootmaking and printing businesses, and after a period in family businesses, he attended Richmond School of Art, going on to the Royal College of Art. He went on to become a consummate painter, printmaker, watercolourist and designer of stained-glass windows. He was also a designer of opera and theatre sets, ceramics, tapestries and fabrics, as well as a photographer, writer and commentator on art and architecture. After a period of abstraction, his work focused in particular on the British and French landscape and built heritage, especially churches, country houses and monuments. Piper was an Official War Artist in World War II, and his wartime depictions of bomb-damaged churches and landmarks, perhaps most notably those of Coventry Cathedral, made Piper a household name. His work as an artist and commentator became central to the development and understanding of Modern British Art, from the 1930s to the 1980s, and he was a great collaborator with other leading arts practitioners, including his second wife, the librettist, Myfanwy Evans. His work was acquired by many public collections around the world. In his later years, he produced many limited-edition prints and book illustrations. After his death, Piper's popularity dipped a little, but it is now back up where it was in his lifetime, as one of the outstanding British artists of his time. He was also a generous mentor to an aspiring young artist, as I know to my eternal gratitude, even if

it wasn't enough to make me a good one.