John Piper C.H (1903-1992) | Seaweed and Lichen, South Cornwall 1943

A darkly beautiful landscape from John Piper in context 1943 was such a tumultuous time for Great Britain. Piper was an official war artist, here he depicts a bare beach between sea rocks and sky. A brooding painting with an uncomfortable intensity. The darkness of colour too emphasises the natural textures with grey blue shingle set against the dark greens of seaweed and the warmth of golden brown sands. 

A dramatic painting which captures our British coast in adversity and under threat! The work is on loan to Rye Art Gallery from the Kowitz Family Art Collection and will be featured in the studio alongside other selected paintings by John Piper that we have in our permanent collection at the gallery.

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. 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. Piper collaborated with many others, including the poets John Betjeman and Geoffrey Grigson on the Shell Guides, the potter Geoffrey Eastop and the artist Ben Nicholson. In his later years, he produced many limited-edition prints.

Dungeness, 1936 gouache ink and collage

Piper was a long-term friend of Paul Nash particularly during his time in Rye and Dymchurch where they collaborated as official war artists. Piper and Sir Brian Clarke maintained a significant professional and personal relationship centred on their shared passion for stained glass and architecture. Clarke described Piper as an ‘irresistible man and the most sensitive artist’. They were both ‘allies’ in the medium of stained glass.

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