John Piper
A Sculpture at Cahors, Southern France, 1959
Oil and ink on canvas, laid on board
15 x 14 1/2 in / 38 x 37 cm
Signed 'John Piper' (lower right)
Sold
The subject of this painting derives from the north porch tympanum of Saint-Etienne cathedral, where the decorative arch at Cahors tells the story of the ascension of Christ and the...
The subject of this painting derives from the north porch tympanum of Saint-Etienne cathedral, where the decorative arch at Cahors tells the story of the ascension of Christ and the martyrdom of Saint Stephen. This painting was designed (but not used) for Bertrand Russell’s book Wisdom of the West, for which Piper created several other illustrations. A similar illustration with more figures was eventually used for the 1959 publication.
Provenance
John and Ruth Isabel Ross, Enniskerry.Moore-Gwyn Fine Art, London.
Private collection, UK (purchased from the above, 2022).