John Piper
John Piper is famous for his romantic landscapes, views of ruined churches, stately homes and castles. He was born in Epsom in 1903; Piper's inclination to become an artist was inhibited by his father's desire for him to join the family law firm. Following the death of his father in 1927, Piper enrolled in the Richmond School of Art and a year later the Royal College of Art. Collaborations were important to Piper and fuelled his artistic output. Piper worked on stage designs and costumes for theatre and ballet. John Piper’s interest in churches began early. By the age of 14, he had visited by bicycle every church in Surrey. Later, he began to think about the relationship between the artist and the church. Piper also wrote articles on art and architecture and designed stained glass windows for a number of buildings including the new Coventry Cathedral. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Piper was ordered by the War Artists Advisory Committee to capture the effects of the war on the British landscape. One of his most significant series of paintings was “Interior of Coventry Cathedral”, which was created after an air raid that destroyed Coventry Cathedral. The devastation of the Blitz was easily adjusted to Piper's personal interest in old ruined buildings. He had also lost his eldest brother in the First World War which may have made the commission particularly touching and enabled him to respond with his deepest emotion. During these years he travelled the country, capturing the atmosphere of places. These scenes do not always directly relate to bomb-damage but reflect, in Piper's unique way, a sense of loss and nostalgia. In 1944, he was appointed Official War Artist. Piper died at his home in Fawley Bottom in 1992.
John Piper has done book illustration, stage design, designed pottery, tapestry, ceramics, stained glass windows, textiles, and...
