Piper, John: After the Blitz, Council Chamber, House of Commons

£750.00

Description

Artist: John Piper (British, 1903-1992), none of this set of lithographs was signed

Title and date: After the Blitz, Council Chamber, House of Commons, 1984

Size of picture: image size: 34.5 x 46.0

Description:

This lithograph is based on the oil painting, the ‘Ruined Council Chamber, House of Commons, May 1941’ which was produced a part of John Piper’s record of the effects of the Blitz. It is one of 8 commissioned to illustrate a limited edition of Dylan Thomas’s poems ‘Deaths and Entrances’ published in 1984 by Gwasg Gregynog Press, Newtown, Powys.

Most of the lithographs available from this series were double page book illustrations with a centre crease. However, 10 sets of lithographs were separately produced by the Senecio Press in Banbury to a very high technical standard, and this immaculate lithograph – which is rare to find – is from one of those sets, unframed.

More images can be provided on request.

Artist description:

Born in Epsom, John Egerton Christmas Piper studied at Richmond School of Art and the Royal College of Art from 1926-8. In the mid 1930a, after a visit to Paris, he turned to abstraction. He became a member of the London Group in 1933 and the ‘Seven and Five’ group in 1934-5. During this period he became friends with Oliver Simon of the Curwen Press and his interest in lithography and print making grew. During the Second World War, Piper was appointed as an official war artist recording the effects of the blitz on Britain’s buildings. After the war, he became a Trustee of the Tate and National Galleries and in 1959 he became a member of the Royal Fine Art Commission. Piper is best known for his extensive studies of British architecture and landscape in oil, watercolour and print, and for his photography, stained glass, ceramics, fabric design, murals, stage sets and costume design. His work is held in many Museums and Galleries.