An original offset-lithograph by John Piper from a folio of 18 lithographs based on the series of 18 original paintings by Piper, which were sold off at the same time as this limited edition folio.
This is a out-of-series copy from the edition of 200. The edition is signed by the artist John Piper and the translator Tambimuttu, but not individual prints. A copy of the signature page is included with the print.
It is 'outside' of the numbered edition as it is an un-numbered proof copy.
Published by Paradine in association with PLK Editions Poetry London.
The text is taken from the Sanscrit, the Telugu, the Kannada and the Assamese, and the paintings are based on the temple sculptures in Konarak and Khajuraho, the frescoes of Ajanta and Indian iconography from other sites.
They are not representational images but capture the spirit and purpose of them as John Piper saw them and painted them.
Reproduction of the images was prohibited until 2027.
There are no other official copies of these images available.
Printed on French pure rag mould made paper with text designed and printed by Will Carter at the Rampant Lions Press, Cambridge and the illustrations were printed at the Senecio Press in Oxfordshire.
John Egerton Christmas Piper (13 December 1903 – 28 June 1992) was an English painter, print-maker, designer of stained-glass windows and opera and theatre sets. His work often focused on the British landscape, especially churches and monuments, and included tapestry designs, book jackets, screen prints, photography, fabrics and ceramics. He was educated at Epsom College and trained at the Richmond School of Art followed by the Royal College of Art in London. He turned from abstraction early in his career, concentrating on a more naturalistic but distinctive approach, but often worked in several different styles throughout his career.
Piper was an official war artist in World War II and his wartime depictions of bomb-damaged churches and landmarks, most notably those of Coventry Cathedral, made Piper a household name and led to his work being acquired by several public collections. Piper collaborated with many others, including the poets John Betjeman and Geoffrey Grigson on the Shell Guides, the potter Geoffrey Eastop and the artist Ben Nicholson. In his later years, he produced many limited-edition prints.
The page size is 56 x 38 cm.
