A month-long exhibition of one of the most important 20th century English artists

Great British Life: John Piper, Welsh mining valley (Bedwellty)John Piper, Welsh mining valley (Bedwellty) (Image: Archant)

The unmistakable work of John Piper will be on show at Thompson’s Gallery in Aldeburgh this month, when the gallery assembles the largest collection of the artist’s work in East Anglia.

John Piper (1903-1992) was one of the leading modern British artists of the 20th century, a painter, printmaker, designer of stained-glass windows and theatre sets. Early on, he settled in a small hamlet on the edge of the Chilterns, proceeded to produce work, which placed him centre stage in the cultural landscape of the 20th century.

Great British Life: John Piper Leigh Upon mendip ChurchJohn Piper Leigh Upon mendip Church (Image: Archant)

His overriding fascination was vernacular and ecclesiastical architecture. Abbeys, churches, houses, castles, cottages and details of architectural design were frequent subjects for his paintings and prints.

Piper travelled far around Britain and Europe, surveying the landscape and the built environment with a fine eye, working with quick control, to produce richly textured images, romantic combinations of colour and calligraphic lines.

He had strong associations with East Anglia and Aldeburgh in general, where a fond friendship with Benjamin Britten led him to design almost all of Britten’s stage works.

For more information contact:

graham@thompsonsgallery.co.uk