John Piper CH | |
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Born | John Egerton Christmas Piper 13 December 1903 Epsom, Surrey, England |
Died | 28 June 1992 Fawley Bottom, Buckinghamshire, England | (aged 88)
Education | Richmond School of Art |
Alma mater | Royal College of Art |
Known for | Painting (oil and acrylic), printmaking, set design, stained glass, mosaic |
Notable work |
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John Egerton Christmas Piper CH (13 December 1903 – 28 June 1992) was an English painter, printmaker and designer of stained-glass windows and both opera and theatre sets. His work often focused on the British landscape, especially churches and monuments, and included tapestry designs, book jackets, screen prints, photography, fabrics and ceramics. He was educated at Epsom College and trained at the Richmond School of Art followed by the Royal College of Art in London.[1] He turned from abstraction early in his career, concentrating on a more naturalistic but distinctive approach, but often worked in several different styles throughout his career.
Piper was an official war artist in World War II and his wartime depictions of bomb-damaged churches and landmarks, most notably those of Coventry Cathedral, made Piper a household name and led to his work being acquired by several public collections.[2] Piper collaborated with many others, including the poets John Betjeman and Geoffrey Grigson on the Shell Guides,[3][4] the potter Geoffrey Eastop and the artist Ben Nicholson. In his later years, he produced many limited-edition prints.