Two paintings of Reading are going under the hammer at an art auction taking place in London this Wednesday. The artworks are estimated to fetch £8,000 each.
Both pieces are by the celebrated British artist John Piper (1903-1992). The paintings were commissioned by Reading Borough Council in 1974.
The first painting is entitled ‘Urban Reading’ and is a design for one of two tapestries commissioned by Reading Borough Council for their civic offices.
Piper presents his vision of Urban Reading, with its mix of red brick Victorian architecture and earlier Bath stone archway.
The chimneys in the distance represent the iconic Huntley and Palmer's biscuit factory which, until production ceased in 1976, was a significant part of Reading's economic life.
The second painting is entitled ‘Rural Reading’. The blue running through the centre represents the importance of the Kennet and Thames rivers.
The foreground is adorned with bulrushes which are commonly found along the riverbanks.
Piper knew Reading well, as he and his family had lived at Fawley Bottom in the nearby Chilton hills since the 1930s.
In 1949 he was commissioned to produce a series of architectural guides, and in the Berkshire edition, he stated that post-war Reading was perceived as a modern place.
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