English painter, set designer, printmaker and window designer John Egerton Christmas Piper was born in Surrey in 1903. Though his family wished him to become a lawyer, he rebelled and first studied at the Richmond School of Art. He later moved onto the Royal College of Art, London, though he did not actually graduate. Though he initially experimented with abstract art, he soon turned towards more natural themes. His main subjects were landscapes and religious buildings, such as churches. He created a range of work, including book jackets, photography, tapestries, fabrics and ceramics.
