John Craxton - A Life of Gifts: Ian Collins and Sofka Zinovieff in Conversation
Autumn Term, sees the return of the Royal Drawing School series of Creative Conversations; online dialogues between artists, curators and writers. Curated by Dr Claudia Tobin, lectures are held Wednesday evenings live on Zoom.
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John Craxton, 'Self-portrait', 1946-1947, Oil on paper, 32.5 x 23.5 cm.
Private collection © John Craxton Estate/DACS, all rights reserved
Writers Ian Collins and Sofka Zinovieff will discuss the life and legacy of painter and ballet designer John Craxton (1922-2009) for the centenary of his birth.
Born into a large, musical and bohemian family, Craxton only ever wanted to draw and paint. He and best-friend Lucian Freud found early fame in war-time London with dark and wildly imaginative images, both prodigies kicking against conventions in art and life.
From an early age Craxton longed to live and work in Greece. He got there in 1946, and – while Freud followed for five months – he never looked back. Voyaging into light and colour, for more than 60 years his joyful linear art paid tribute to Aegean life and landscapes.
Ian Collins is the author of the biography John Craxton: A Life of Gifts (Yale University Press) and curator of the artist’s current touring exhibition.
Sofka Zinovieff is an Athens-based novelist and biographer. Her last novel was Putney and she was a judge for the 2022 Runciman Award won by A Life of Gifts.
John Craxton, 'Cretan Shepherd Boy', 1948, Conté pencil on paper laid on card, 26 x 19 cm.
© John Craxton Estate/DACS, all rights reserved
Cover image:
John Craxton, 'Man Dancing in Taverna', Tempera on board, 89 x 106.5 cm.
© John Craxton Estate/DACS, all rights reserved