John Craxton: From threat to joy in nature

Very much enjoyed David Attenborough's piece about John Craxton on tonight's The Culture Show.

The paintings of John Craxton (1922-2009) - which continue to be shown at Tate Britain till the 9th of October with more of his work on show at this year’s Aldeburgh Festival in June - communicate his experience of the light, colour and joy he felt from his subject – predominantly the people and landscape of Crete and Greece. Attenburgh highlighted the move Craxton made from the sense of threat found in nature as a result of the War to the joy he later found in nature in Crete and Greece.

As the Tate Britain curators suggest Craxton’s voice is singular and can perhaps best be described as Arcadian with his picturing of a pastoral idyll and harmony between humanity and nature. He identified the shepherd and reaper with the poet and painter; they constituted surrogate self-portraits while also suggesting a bond and kinship between the land and its inhabitants.


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Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Pictures.