Description

Art historian Frances Spalding here provides an exuberant and richly illustrated dual biography of John Piper--one of the best loved and capacious English artists--and his wife the librettist Myfanwy Piper, collaborator with Benjamin Britten. Together they stood at the heart of the English cultural landscape of the mid-20th century. Drawing on substantial original research, including many interviews with those who had either known or worked with the Pipers, Spalding's biography sheds new light on the story of British art in the 1930s. In the middle of this decade, the Pipers were at the forefront of avant-garde activities in England, with Myfanwy editing the most advanced art magazine of the day and John working alongside Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and others. The book contains 80 color and 80 black-and-white plates, and also presents a wealth of information on the major commissions of John Piper's lengthy career as well as his work in print-making, stained glass, illustration, theatre design, and fireworks. And it illuminates Myfanwy Piper's collaborations with the composers Benjamin Britten and Alun Hoddinott, and her role as Betjeman's muse.

Features

• The first comprehensive account of the life and work of John Piper, including many of the overlooked tributaries into which his creativity overflowed
• Contains in-depth research into all the major commissions within John Piper's lengthy career, plus much new information on his work in print-making, stained glass, illustration, theatre design - and fireworks
• Uncovers the life and work of Myfanwy Piper; her collaborations with the composers Benjamin Britten and Alun Hoddinott, and her part in the avant-garde movement in English art during the 1930s
• Demonstrates the key part the Pipers played in defining 'Englishness' in the mid-20th century - not least through the iconic Shell Guides
• Shows their huge network of friendships and collaborations, with Benjamin Britten, Kenneth Clark, John Betjeman, Osbert Lancaster, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and others
• Draws on a mass of original research, including interviews with those who had either known or worked with the Pipers
• Fully illustrated throughout with black-and-white in-text illustrations and colour plates

Product Details

400 pages; Fully illustrated throughout with b/w in-text illus. & color plates; 7 1/2" x 9 3/4"; ISBN13: 978-0-19-956761-4ISBN10: 0-19-956761-1

About the Author(s)