'Amazing' work by late artist goes on display

A artist who took inspiration from the countryside of Wiltshire and Dorset is the subject of a new exhibition.

John Piper, from Surrey, painted sites such as: Stourhead, Fonthill and Lacock in Wiltshire. One of his early collages was of the neolithic site at Avebury, a stone circle thought to be older than Stonehenge.

Though a widely popular artist, there have been no previous exhibition of the work he created in the south and south-west of England until this year. He died in 1992, aged 88.

John Piper in the South Country, on show at Museum & Art Swindon, had brought together artworks from private and public collections from across the country, organisers said.

Matt Vallender, Swindon Borough Council's cabinet member for culture, planning and regeneration, said: "The work on display in this new exhibition showcases the amazing landscape that we're fortunate to have on our doorstep, and highlights the beauty of our local countryside that inspired John Piper's original works."

The exhibition includes Piper's depictions of churches in the area, from Inglesham to Knowlton and Britwell Salome.

He also painted different aspects of the Salisbury Plain, including a view of a neolithic barrow, the land under plough during World War Two and the monument of Stonehenge.

Other subjects included a street corner in Lydiard Park, Cerne Abbas and several studies of the Isle of Portland.

Vallender continued: "Thanks to the Wessex Museums Partnership, we're able to bring exhibitions like this to Swindon, giving residents the chance to experience nationally significant collections without having to travel."

Curated by Andrew Lambirth, John Piper in the South Country is part of the Arts Council England-funded Wessex Museums Partnership programme.

It is open at Museum & Art Swindon on Euclid Street until September.

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