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Augustus JohnEnglish artist and engraver.
Date of Birth: 04.01.1878
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Biography of Augustus John
- Leading Member of the New English Art Club
- Teaching and Travels
- Recognition and Presidency
- Influence and Legacy
- Notable Works
- Death
Biography of Augustus John
Augustus John was an English artist and engraver. He was born in Tenby, Wales on January 4, 1878, to a family of lawyers. From a young age, he showed a talent for drawing and in 1894, he enrolled in the Slade School of Fine Art in London.
Leading Member of the New English Art Club
In 1903, John became one of the leading members of the New English Art Club. He was known for his eclectic style, influenced by artists such as Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, and French Post-Impressionists.
Teaching and Travels
In 1904, John began teaching at the Liverpool University School of Art. He also traveled several times to Dartmoor, where he lived with his family in a gypsy camp and painted scenes from gypsy life.
Recognition and Presidency
In 1921, John was elected as a Corresponding Member, and in 1928, he became an Academician of the Royal Academy of Arts. From 1948 to 1953, he served as the President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.
Influence and Legacy
It is believed that John served as the inspiration for the protagonist, John Bidlebeck, in Aldous Huxley's novel "Point Counter Point." John's paintings were diverse, ranging from portraits to romantic scenes. His works were characterized by their spontaneity and immediacy. His portrayals of gypsy camp life, with elongated figures arranged parallel to the picture plane through specific spatial intervals, achieved remarkable rhythmic effects.
Notable Works
Some of John's most famous paintings include "Portrait of an Old Woman" (1899), "The Gypsy Camp, Dartmoor" (1906), "Dorelia" (1911), "Portrait of George Bernard Shaw" (1914), and "Portrait of Thomas Hardy" (1923). John was also the author of the book "Chiaroscuro: Fragments of an Autobiography" (London, 1952).
Death
Augustus John passed away on October 31, 1961, in Fordingbridge, Hampshire.
