Augustus John

Key facts

Lived

1878–1961, British^[2]

Movement

• Post-Impressionism

^[2]

Works held in

52 museums^[6]

Wikipedia

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• What is Augustus John known for?+

  C.J. Holmes placed Augustus John^[6] alongside Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin. Holmes considered him the only British^[2] painter worth discussing in connection with the new movement. His work A Family Group (c. 1908^[2]) is also known for its monumental figures pressed into a shallow decorative space.
• What is Augustus John's most famous work?+

  Augustus John^[6]'s most famous work is *A Family Group*, painted around 1908^[2]. This large oil painting (measuring approximately 209.5 x 181 cm) is an idealised depiction of family life, portraying John's two wives, Ida and Dorelia, along with their children. Although pen-and-ink drawings related to the composition date to around 1905, John only began the painting after Ida's death in March 1907. Two experiences in Paris that year influenced him to paint a simplified composition on a large scale. The first was seeing an exhibition of drawings by Puvis de Chavannes; the second was a visit to Picasso’s studio. John saw paintings from Picasso's 'Blue' and 'Rose' periods, as well as *Les Demoiselles d'Avignon*. *A Family Group* anticipates later large paintings such as *The Way Down to the Sea* (1909-11) and *The Lyric Fantasy* (1911-14), both of which also feature Dorelia and Ida in idealised settings. The Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art in Dublin holds *A Family Group*.
• What should I know about Augustus John's prints?+

  During the late 19th century, fine art etchings gained considerable popularity, leading publishers to launch specialist magazines like *The Etcher* and *English Etchings*. Etching was considered a medium for the cultured, in contrast to the mass appeal of engravings. Publishers also looked to the Continent, where talented reproductive etchers were more affordable than their British^[6]","author":null,"year":null,"publisher":null,"type":"wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_John","used_for":"biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality"}">[2] counterparts. Although the Printsellers’ Association did not fully track etching editions, the market for fine art etchings became increasingly international. Edward Burne-Jones, a highly respected painter, recognised the potential of engraving and collaborated with engravers to reproduce his works. He believed that etchings and mezzotints could even improve the ethereal qualities of his subjects. To ensure quality and exclusivity, plates were often destroyed after small editions of 200 to 400 prints. Printmakers often limit editions, marking each print with a fraction indicating the print number and the total edition size. The title is written in the centre, and the signature on the right, all in pencil. While these conventions are not legally binding, they are widely respected within the printmaking community.
• What style or movement did Augustus John belong to?+

  Augustus John^[6] (born in Wales, 1878^[2]; died 1961^[2]) is associated with Post-Impressionism^[2], though he resisted being categorised. He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1894^[2] to 1898. He later taught at Liverpool University and co-ran the Chelsea Art School with William Orpen. John exhibited with the New English Art Club, becoming a member in 1903, as well as with the International Society and the Allied Artists' Association. He briefly joined the Camden Town Group, contributing to their first exhibition in June 1911. A Family Group, circa 1908, shows John's two wives, Ida and Dorelia, with their children. The painting, an idealised family scene, reveals the influence of Puvis de Chavannes, particularly in its monumental figures and shallow space. John's visit to Picasso’s studio in 1907 also affected his style. He saw paintings from the ‘Blue’ and ‘Rose’ Periods, as well as Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Critics noted the simplification in John’s paintings. Some considered him a leading British^[2] figure in the Post-Impressionist movement, particularly for works done in France around 1910.
• What techniques or materials did Augustus John use?+

  Details of Augustus John^[6]'s techniques are not included in the reference passages. The passages do, however, discuss the materials and approaches of some contemporary British^[2] artists. Turner, a generation before John, spent a decade as a watercolourist, developing techniques he later used in oils. His early watercolours featured transparent washes over white paper, reserving highlights. Greens were achieved by mixing or overlaying washes of brown and blue. Turner produced over 20,000 sketches and watercolours, but few had direct counterparts in oil. He used white priming for many of his oils, both finished and unfinished, in the early 1800s; later, most of his supports had white grounds. These absorbent surfaces allowed him to rapidly assess the final colour and develop compositions quickly. Gainsborough favoured warm, red-brown grounds, described as resembling tanned leather, particularly for pictures of the countryside. He began work in subdued light, assessing his subject in basic shapes and tonal areas. He used rapid strokes of black, umber, lake, or white paint, followed by washes of thinned colour to block out the form. The thin underlayers dried quickly, allowing him to apply translucent, opaque, and glazing colours rapidly, often wet-in-wet.
• What was Augustus John known for?+

  Augustus John^[6] (born in Wales, 1878^[2]; died 1961^[2]) studied at the Slade and later taught painting at Liverpool University. He was also co-principal, with William Orpen, of the Chelsea Art School. John exhibited with the New English Art Club (becoming a member in 1903^[2]), the International Society, and the Allied Artists' Association. He joined the Camden Town Group, but only participated in their first exhibition in June 1911. John's painting *A Family Group* (circa 1908) portrays his two wives, Ida and Dorelia, with their children. Pen and ink drawings related to the composition date from around 1905, but he started the painting after Ida’s death in March 1907. Two experiences in Paris in 1907 encouraged him to paint a simplified composition on a large canvas. He saw drawings by Puvis de Chavannes and paintings by Picasso, including works from the ‘Blue’ and ‘Rose’ Periods, and *Les Demoiselles d'Avignon*. In the summer of 1910, John painted a series of works at Martigues. *Dorelia and the Children at Martigues* (1910) depicts Dorelia seated with David and two other children. The smaller panels allowed him greater freedom to create simplified forms in pure colours. Although invited to exhibit at the 2nd Post-Impressionist Exhibition, John declined to participate.
• When did Augustus John live and work?+

  Augustus John^[6] was born on 4 January 1878^[2] in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, and died on 31 October 1961^[2] in Fordingbridge, Hampshire. John was associated with the Camden Town Group, which formed in 1911^[2]. Other members included Walter Bayes, Robert Bevan, Malcolm Drummond, Harold Gilman, Charles Ginner, Spencer Gore, J.D. Innes, Henry Lamb, Maxwell Gordon Lightfoot, James Manson, Lucien Pissarro, Wyndham Lewis, William Ratcliffe, Doman Turner, and Walter Sickert. The group held its first exhibition at the Carfax Gallery later that year. In November 1913, the Camden Town Group expanded and became the London Group. John exhibited with the London Group between the summer and winter exhibitions in 1916. He exhibited again in spring 1919, but by winter was no longer a member or exhibitor.
• Where can I see Augustus John's work?+

  Augustus John^[6]'s works can be found in numerous public and private collections. These include the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Gallery, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, all in London. Other UK institutions holding his work are the Ulster Museum in Belfast; the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham; Bradford Museums and Art Galleries; Bristol Art Gallery; the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge; the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff; the National Gallery of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh; the Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum; Hull University Art Collection; Ipswich Museum; Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery; Leeds City Art Gallery; the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool; Manchester City Art Gallery; the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne; the Central Museum and Art Gallery in Northampton; the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford; the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery; the Graves Art Gallery in Sheffield; and the Southampton Art Gallery.
• Where was Augustus John from?+

  Augustus John^[6] was born in Wales. His birth year was 1878^[2], and he died in 1961^[2]. John studied at the Slade School from 1894^[2] to 1898. Later, he taught painting at Liverpool University between 1901 and 1904. During that same period, he was co-principal, with William Orpen, of the Chelsea Art School. John became a member of the New English Art Club (NEAC) in 1903. He was also affiliated with the International Society and the Allied Artists' Association (AAA). Although a member of the Camden Town Group, he only participated in their first exhibition in June 1911. John met Pablo Picasso in Paris in 1907. He travelled and painted in various locations, including Wales, France, Dorset, and Ireland, until 1914. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy (ARA) in 1921 and a Royal Academician (RA) in 1928. His sister was the painter Gwen John.
• Who did Augustus John influence?+

  Augustus John^[6]'s impact can be seen in the work of James Dickson Innes, among others. John taught painting at Liverpool University from 1901^[2] to 1904, and he was co-principal, with William Orpen, of the Chelsea Art School. Innes met John in 1907 and regularly visited him. Innes's paintings became bolder and brighter after seeing John's Provencal studies at the Chenil Gallery in 1911, as well as the paintings of Matisse. John's paintings, such as *A Family Group*, used simplified compositions. Roger Fry noted that John "rejected so many accessory facts that the spectator was in the habit of expecting". *A Family Group* anticipates other large paintings by John, such as *The Way Down to the Sea* and *The Lyric Fantasy*. Critics such as C.J. Holmes considered John alongside Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin as important figures of Post-Impressionism^[2].
• Who influenced Augustus John?+

  Augustus John^[6], born in Wales, studied at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1894^[2] to 1898. He taught painting at Liverpool University from 1901 to 1904 and co-ran the Chelsea Art School with William Orpen. Several artistic influences affected John's development. He was introduced to the work of Puvis de Chavannes by Rothenstein and saw Rothenstein's drawings in 1900. The impact of the 1907 exhibition of Puvis' drawings in Paris was considerable. John admired the Greek lightness in Puvis' work. The influence of Puvis can be seen in John's monumental figures, shallow space, and decorative backgrounds; for example, in *A Family Group* (circa 1908), which uses a rhythmic pattern of red, blue, and yellow against a blue-green background. John also visited Picasso's studio in 1907 and saw paintings from the Blue and Rose periods, along with *Les Demoiselles d'Avignon*. In 1910, he painted a series of works at Martigues. Critics noted that John, along with Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin, was at the forefront of Post-Impressionism^[2]. His Provençal studies were admired for their simplified forms and pure colours.
• Who was Augustus John?+

  Augustus John^[6] (1878^[2]-1961^[2]) was a Welsh artist. He was the brother of Gwen John, who was also a painter. Augustus studied at the Slade School from 1894^[2] to 1898. From 1901 to 1904, he taught painting at Liverpool University. During this period, he was co-principal with William Orpen of the Chelsea Art School. John exhibited at the New English Art Club, becoming a member in 1903. He also exhibited with the International Society and the Allied Artists' Association. Although a member of the Camden Town Group, he only participated in their first exhibition in June 1911. In 1907, he met Picasso in Paris. He travelled and painted in Wales, France, Dorset, and Ireland until 1914. He became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1921 and a Royal Academician in 1928. His 1908 painting *A Family Group* depicts John’s two wives, Ida and Dorelia, with their children. Pen and ink drawings from around 1905 relate to the composition, but he started the painting after Ida’s death in March 1907. A 1907 exhibition of Puvis de Chavannes' drawings, as well as seeing paintings by Picasso, encouraged John to paint a simplified composition on a large canvas.