John Piper in the South Country’ has opened in Swindon after a successful run at Wiltshire Museum. It is the first exhibition dedicated to John Piper’s artwork inspired by the south and south-west of England.
The exhibition explores Piper’s fascination with the region through paintings and collages featuring well-known locations including Stourhead, Fonthill, Lacock, Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury Plain. Visitors can also see works depicting churches from across the area.
The exhibition includes a strong local connection, with *Bolingbroke at Lydiard Tregoze* (1940) from the collection at Lydiard House Museum on display alongside a street scene from Lydiard Park.
Curated by Andrew Lambirth, the exhibition brings together works from public and private collections across the UK. Many of the pieces are rarely displayed together and highlight Piper’s ability to capture everything from prehistoric monuments and wartime landscapes to village churches and dramatic coastlines.
The exhibition is touring through the Wessex Museums Partnership with support from Arts Council England, helping bring nationally significant exhibitions to venues across the region.
Councillor Matt Vallender, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Planning and Regeneration, said:
“The work on display in this new exhibition showcases the amazing landscape that we’re fortunate to have on our doorstep and highlights the beauty of our local countryside that inspired John Piper’s original works.
“Thanks to the Wessex Museums Partnership, we’re able to bring exhibitions like this to Swindon, giving residents the chance to experience nationally significant collections without having to travel. I’d encourage everyone to visit before the end of September to see for themselves.”
The exhibition is on display at Museum & Art Swindon, inside the Civic Offices on Euclid Street, until 26th September.
