John Piper joins fiftiesart

John Piper was a unique artist and designer whose work has yet to receive full recognition and which will surely be reflected in its value. He spanned a huge range of media from printmaking, painting, drawing and illustration to photography, stained glass, ceramic and fabric design, stage sets, murals and costume design. His style remained intensely personal, reflecting constant development and experimentation. Whilst it’s generally considered he turned away from abstract art, abstraction is never far away in his exuberant and expressive work.

I’ve now added a range of Piper’s prints to the fiftiesart collection, originating in the 1950s then continuing throughout his career. Most of the subjects are concerned with architecture and landscape and they are profoundly English. Piper is to English art what Elgar and Vaughan Williams are to English music. Nobody comes close in the quality and distinctiveness of his work, it’s simply irresistible. I hope you enjoy browsing through the selection available.

The print illustrated is ‘Chateau de Taillebourg’ from 1958. This and all other prints in the collection include a number referenced to ‘Levinson’. This is taken from the essential reference book recording John Piper’s printmaking output, Orde Levinson’s ‘The Prints of John Piper: Quality and Experiment, A Catalogue Raisonné, 1923-91’ the revised edition published in 2010.