Peter Lanyon

Peter Lanyon  was a British painter primarily focused on landscapes with a strong inclination towards abstraction. Lanyon stands as one of the most significant artists to emerge in post-war Britain.  

Biography of Peter Lanyon

Peter Lanyon was born on February 8, 1918, in St. Ives, Cornwall. After receiving a private education at Clifton College near Bristol, Lanyon joined Penzance School of Art in 1936. He also received private tutoring from the painter Borlase Smart.

In 1937, he met Adrian Stokes, who is believed to have introduced him to contemporary painting and sculpture. Stokes advised him to attend the Euston Road School, where he studied under Victor Pasmore for four months.

He was greatly influenced by the arrival of Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, and Naum Gabo in St Ives in 1939, and took private lessons from Nicholson. The character of his work changed completely as he became deeply involved in creating constructions. Throughout the 1940s, the influence of Nicholson and Gabo remained highly evident in his work.

From 1940 to 1945, he served with the Royal Air Force in the Western Desert, Palestine, and Italy. His marriage to Sheila St. John Browne in 1946 marked a personal milestone, and the couple had six children.

Following World War II, Lanyon played an active role in the Crypt group and co-founded the Penwith School of Art in 1949.

first solo exhibition in London took place at the Lefevre Gallery in 1949, after which he exhibited widely. In the late 1950s, he showed his work in New York and encountered American Abstract Expressionists such as Rothko, Kline, De Kooning, and Motherwell.

A pivotal moment in Lanyon's life came in 1959 when he took up gliding, seeking a more profound connection with the landscape. Unfortunately, what had once been a wellspring of creativity for Lanyon tragically turned into a source of destruction. He succumbed to injuries sustained in a gliding accident on August 31, 1964, in Taunton.

Peter Lanyon's Art Style

Peter Lanyon's art style evolved from his early influences of Constructivism and the teachings of Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo. His work combined abstract values with radical ideas about landscape and the human figure. Lanyon's approach navigated through various movements, including Abstract Expressionism and a style close to Pop Art.

Lanyon was also a prolific printmaker, producing etchings, lithographs, monotypes, and linocuts. His gliding experiences inspired many of his paintings, providing an aerial perspective on the Cornish landscape. This unique viewpoint became a hallmark of his work, blending his deep connection to the landscape with abstract expressionist techniques.