John Piper (1903–1992) was a British painter, printmaker, and designer celebrated for his evocative depictions of the British landscape, architecture, and heritage sites. Born in Epsom, Surrey, he studied at the Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, developing a distinctive style that combined modernist abstraction with a deep interest in historical buildings.
Piper is best known for his dramatic, often atmospheric paintings of churches, castles, and ruins, as well as for his wartime commissions as an official war artist during the Second World War. His work spans painting, printmaking, stage design, and stained glass, reflecting his versatility and fascination with texture, pattern, and colour.
He played a key role in recording Britain’s architectural heritage for posterity and is regarded as one of the most important British artists of the 20th century, celebrated for his imaginative and poetic vision of the landscape.
