Artwork
Abstract Composition
Abstract Composition is a watercolor work on paper by the Abstract Expressionist artist John Piper. It dates from 1937 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Abstract Composition (1937) is a watercolour work by John Piper, executed in gouache and green wash on cream wove paper, and signed by the artist in pen.
Subject & Meaning
The composition is non-representational, featuring a central white form surrounded by contrasting dark blue and orange blocks. The arrangement of shapes creates a sense of visual tension, yet the overall effect is paradoxically busy and serene.
Technique & Style
Piper employed loose, uneven brushstrokes, applying paint in varying thicknesses. Unlike typical watercolour transparency, the colours here appear bold and unblended, contributing to the work's dynamic, almost impulsive feel.
History & Provenance
Created in 1937, the piece is characteristic of Piper's early experimentation with abstract forms. Signed in pen, it bears the artist's direct authentication.
Context
Within Piper's oeuvre, this work reflects his transient engagement with abstraction in the late 1930s, a period of stylistic exploration before his shift towards more representational themes.
Legacy
While not a defining work of Piper's career, Abstract Composition (1937) offers insight into his brief, yet intriguing, dalliance with abstract expressionism, influencing subsequent British abstract artists.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Egerton Christmas Piper CH (13 December 1903 – 28 June 1992) was an English painter, printmaker and designer of stained-glass windows and both opera and theatre sets.
