John Piper (1903-1992) was a major figure in modern British art. In the early 1930s he produced dramatic abstract works, becoming a member of the 7&5 Group alongside Ben Nicholson and Henry Moore. Later, his paintings become more representational, recording in closely-observed detail the landscape and architecture of Britain.

Piper also made designs for a wide range of projects. Prominent commissions included the Baptistry window at Coventry Cathedral and stage designs for the British composer Benjamin Britten’s operas. He wrote extensively on art and architecture and was closely involved with the Shell Guides; illustrated guidebooks sold at Shell petrol stations.

Myfanwy Evans (1911-1997) married John Piper in 1937. She edited the avant-garde magazine Axis in 1935-7 and wrote a biography of the painter Frances Hodgkins, but is best-known for the opera librettos she wrote for Britten, including The Turn of the Screw and Death in Venice.

Tate acquired John and Myfanwy Piper’s archive in 2004 with the aid of the Heritage Lottery Fund, and this display marks the completion of its cataloguing. It documents all aspects of their lives and work from the 1930s to the 1990s and includes letters, sketchbooks, manuscripts and photographs, a small selection of which can be seen here.

This display has been devised by curator Emily White

BP British Art Displays 1500-2007