Roger Hilton

Roger Hilton was a trailblazer of abstract art in post-World War II Britain.

Biography of Roger Hilton

Roger Hilton was born in 1911 in Northwood, Middlesex. He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art under Henry Tonks and furthered his education in Paris, where he engaged with European avant-garde movements. 

In 1930, the artist received  the Orpen prize.

During World War II, Hilton served as a Commando and was captured during the Dieppe raid in 1942, spending about three years as a prisoner of war. Post-war, he worked as a schoolteacher at Bryanston School in Dorset, and later taught at the Central School of Arts and Crafts from 1954 to 1956.

Hilton's career gained momentum in the late 1950s and 1960s. He moved to west Cornwall in 1965, where he became a central figure in the St Ives School. In 1963, he won the John Moores Painting Prize, and in 1964, he exhibited at the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, winning the UNESCO Prize.

Hilton was appointed CBE in 1968. He spent his final years in Cornwall, where his health declined due to alcoholism, but he continued to paint even while bedridden. He passed away in 1975.

Roger Hilton's Art Style

Roger Hilton was a key figure in the development of abstract art in Britain. His work, often associated with the 'middle generation' of St Ives painters, was deeply influenced by European avant-garde movements such as tachisme and CoBrA. Hilton's abstract paintings are characterized by their raw energy and expressive use of color and form.

In his later years, Hilton's work became less abstract, often drawing inspiration from the nude or featuring images of animals. Despite his declining health and addiction to alcohol, he continued to produce art, often painting from his bed using sheets of paper on the floor. His gouaches from this period are noted for their brutal yet tender quality, merging raw emotion with artistic finesse.