John Piper

1903 - 1992
English

Sketch for A Midsummer Night's Dream I
ink and watercolour on paper
signed and on verso titled and dated 1960 on the gallery label and inscribed variously
15 1/2 x 22 1/2 in, 39.4 x 57.2 cm

CAD

Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave

PROVENANCE
Marlborough Gallery, London
Private Collection, Toronto

John Piper’s artistic production was as varied as it was exceptional. His early career was defined by romanticized depictions of landscapes and architecture, continuing the stylistic traditions of the likes of JMW Turner and William Blake. The artist turned to abstraction in the 1930s, quickly establishing himself as an important voice in early British non-representational art, and in the years following WW2 Piper would branch out to include stage design, stained glass, ceramics and printmaking in his practice.

Piper was a frequent collaborator with the composer Benjamin Britten, having joined Britten’s English Opera Group in 1946, and subsequently designed sets for several of the first productions of Britten’s operas. This piece was a sketch made as part of Piper’s commission to design the sets and costumes for Britten’s landmark 1960 production based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The lush foliage and forested landscapes of the story are evoked in sweeps and bursts of ink and sepia, creating a dynamic and arcing backdrop to the production

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