John Craxton 1922-2009

1922
Born in St. John's Wood, London to Harold Craxton, pianist and musicologist and Essie Faulkner, violinist and daughter of C. W. Faulkner, the art publisher.

1930-8
Attended various private schools, including Betteshanger, Kent, where Miss Barling, friend of Frances Hodgkins supervised the teaching of painting.

1938
Prevented from entering Chelsea School of Art as he was considered too young to see nudes.

1939
Went to Paris where he drew from life at la Grande Chaumiere; some painting; visited the Louvre and other galleries.

1940
Attended the Westminster Art School and the Central School of Art

1941
Rejected for military service. Met Peter Waston, who became a good friend and important patron. Studied at Goldsmith's College until 1942.

1942- 4
Shared a studio with Lucian Freud in London.

1943
Made trips to Pembrokeshire with Graham Sutherland.

1944
Worked on 'The Poet's Eye' illustrations. Moved into first independent studio in London.

1945
Travelled to the Scilly Islands with Lucian Freud.

1946
Travelled to Paris, Switzerland, Zurich, Bern, Athens, Poros, Cyclades and Dodecanese islands, Paris, Marseilles, Piraeus, Poros, where he continued to work for the joint
exhibition with Freud at the London gallery in 1947.

1948
Visted Paris, Athens, Poros, and Crete, for the first time.

1949
Visited Istanbul, Athens and travelled all over Spain.

1950
Visited Paris, Rome, Naples, Poros and Crete.

1951
Designed sets and costumes for a performance of 'Daphnis and Chloe' by Ravel in London with choreography by Frederick Ashton starring Margot Fonteyn and Michael
Somes. He studied life drawing for two months at Academie Julian, Paris.

1952
Travelled in Italy, where he visited Pompeii, Herculaneumand Paestum.

1953
Visited museums in Holland, traveled to Greece, via Istanbul. Worked on Poros during winter.

1955
Travelled to Poros and Hydra.

1956
Studied mosaics in Salonika. Visited south of France for the first time.

1959
Travelled in Britanny, and went to Hydra.

1960
Rented house at Xania, which he used as a permanent working base apart from London.

1961
Travelled in Russia.

1963
Travelled to Istanbul and Xania.

1965
Spent considerable time in Toledo, studying El Greco.

1966
Went to Athens to assist in the first presentation of 'Daphnis and Chloe' for the Athens Festival. London. Completed designs for Apollo ballet, Covent Garden.

Selected Exhibitions

1932
Included in exhibition at the Bloomsbury Gallery of paintings by a group of Betteshanger
Students, which was opened by Tonks.

1944
First main London one-man show at Leicester Galleries.

1945
St. Georges Gallery.

1946
British Council, Athens.

1946
Included in Group Show at the Lefevre Gallery.

1946
Galerie Gasser, Zurich.

1950
Mayor Gallery.

1951
Leicester Galleries.

1954
Leicester Galleries.

1955
Crane Gallery: Manchester.

1956
Leicester Galleries.

1961
Leicester Galleries.

1966
Leicester Galleries.