The interplay of European modernism and an indigenous love of landscape is seen particularly in the versatile work of John Piper (1903-1992).
Piper studied at Richmond School of Art from 1926 to 1928 under the Leeds born artist Raymond Coxon. It was also around this time that Piper befriended Henry Moore.
During the 1930's he produced abstract geometrical constructions and paintings, but by the end of the decade he had abandoned abstraction in favour of a return to a romantic interpretation of landscape.
The painting Entrance to Fonthill, 1940, reflects Piper's lyrical interpretation of architecture in landscape. It combines a range of rich, strongly contrasted passages of colour, rapidly drawn lines and varied texture. The Second World War gave Piper’s paintings of Britain’s architectural heritage added drama and intensity.
