Piper’s subject matter over the 1940s and 50s was focussed on the craggy rocks and mountains of Wales. Created in situ, these drawings show Piper’s spontaneous mark making which capture the organic shapes within the land. David Fraser Jenkins and Hugh Fowler-Wright liken Piper’s drawing technique to Henry Moore’s wartime ‘Shelter Drawing’ series, while the elements of abstraction allude to Piper’s later landscape works from the 60s and 70s.

Michael Gyselynck was an important collector of works by John Piper. Around 30 paintings from the Gyselynck collection were exhibited at the Piper Gallery in the River and Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames in 2012 before their dispersal via Christie's auctioneers the same year. The Henley show included a 1930s abstract painting that now forms a centrepiece in the Ashmolean Museum's collection of Modern British Art. In the mid-1990s Michael Gyselynck adopted the habit of taking works purchased at auction to John Piper’s widow, Myfanwy, for comment and authentication. Between 1998 and his passing in 2002, he and his partner acquired works on paper direct from the artist’s family (including the present drawings).

We are very grateful to Revd Dr Stephen Laird, FSA for his assistance with cataloguing.