John Piper visited Renishaw several times during the War and grew to love the place. Osbert Sitwell was to write that in that particular part of the Midlands:
"Mr. Piper has found a territory peculiarly suited to his sombre yet fiery genius."
Piper's paintings of Renishaw and its surroundings, of Montegufoni, the Sitwell castle in Tuscany, and of other places he found inspiring hang in all their glory at Renishaw.
John Piper's pictures of Renishaw and the surrounding area are some of his finest works, combining the mood of the time with architectural delicacy.
His work represents the true vision of England in the mid twentieth century. He owes nothing to anybody though he was probably the nearest a successor to Turner we have.
His earliest mature work was abstract and had strong links with Ben Nicholson in England and Ferdinand Léger in France.
When John Piper was introduced to John Betjeman it was a coming together of like minds. It was not long before Betjeman enlisted his new friend to be a contributor to the Shell Guides and he was given Oxfordshire, which appeared in 1938. Eventually Piper took over the editorship himself.
A turning point in his career was the publication of Brighton Aquatints in 1939 with a Foreword by Lord Alfred Douglas. There were twelve of these aquatints in which Piper attempted to encapsulate the unique spirit of Brighton. When Osbert Sitwell saw this book he became an instant admirer of the artist with important consequences.
At the beginning of the War, the Pilgrim Trust commissioned four volumes recording bomb damage and irreplaceable buildings which might be destroyed. Further to this end Kenneth Clark, the Surveyor of the King's Pictures, persuaded the Queen to commission Piper to paint 24 views of Windsor Castle. He did so in his own inimitable style eliciting the immortal comment from the King: "You've been pretty unlucky with the weather, Mr. Piper". Important as this royal commission was, the Sitwell connection proved to be greater in the long run. In 1942 Osbert Sitwell began his epic autobiography Left Hand! Right Hand! and commissioned Piper to illustrate the work.
Important as this royal commission was, the Sitwell connection proved to be greater in the long run. In 1942 Osbert Sitwell began his epic autobiography Left Hand! Right Hand! and, remembering Brighton Aquatints, he commissioned Piper to illustrate the work.
Piper visited Renishaw several times during the War and grew to love the place. Osbert Sitwell was to write that in that particular part of the Midlands "...Mr. Piper has found a territory peculiarly suited to his sombre yet fiery genius". The Sitwells, in the grand manner of the l8th century, were patrons of the arts, Sir William Walton and Piper being, perhaps, the most significant of their protegés.
The paintings of Renishaw and its surroundings, and other scenes hang at Renishaw. It is the largest collection of Piper paintings in private hands. This year on show will be some of the Sitwells' collection of paintings by John Piper alongside work by his grandson Luke and daughter-in-law Prue. Their work will be for sale. There will also be signed John Piper prints for sale.
As painter of English churches and their monuments Piper is supreme, and although not at first his favourite subjects, thanks to the Sitwell influences, some of his greatest masterpieces are of country houses, their gates and temples. His brooding depictions of Vanbrugh's masterpieces Seaton Delaval and Castle Howard capture their theatrical atmospheres perfectly. Similarly with Stowe and its follies and the Victorian panache of Harlaxton, no doubt inspired by the enthusiasm of his friend the Rev. Henry Thorold. The gateway arch to Holkham Hall in Norfolk is somehow a distillation of all Piper's visions.
His largest creation must be the great window in the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral completed in 1962, a work which matches the daring modernist designs of Sir Basil Spence and is one of the most memorable features of the building. In his many designs for theatre, opera and ballet he found another perfect metier.
These include, of course, the famous curtain for the first post-War performance of Edith Sitwell's and William Walton's Facade, a perfect foil for this innovative work.
Like so many others the artist was beguiled by the magic of Renishaw where hangs one of the largest collections of his work.
He was always a welcome visitor here and he enjoyed the company of his host and patron. Contrary to tales about the 'difficult' family at Renishaw, he wrote that he `...found nothing but affection in the house.
It is only right for Sir Osbert Sitwell to have the last word.
Concerning Piper's depiction of his old crenellated house he wrote:
"These battlements splinter with their ancient glory the black clouds and golden lights that come so naturally to this painter's brush, and in the landscapes he renders precisely the darkness and illuminated splendour of the countryside, its curious and lovely melancholy and the occasional rage of it."
Thus an artist in words paid tribute to an artist in paint.
This year the gallery is showing a collection of Piper paintings from the Hall's private rooms and there are also some signed prints for sale. Many members of the Piper family are also talented artists - in various different media. Luke and Prue Piper are also showing their work at Renishaw in 2009.