John Craxton: A Life of Gifts
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Born into a large, musical, and bohemian family in London, the British artist John Craxton (1922–2009) has been described as a Neo-Romantic, but he called himself a ‘kind of Arcadian’. His early art was influenced by Blake, Palmer, Miró, and Picasso. After achieving a dream of moving to Greece, his work evolved as a personal response to Byzantine mosaics, El Greco, and the art of Greek life.
This book tells his adventurous story for the first time. At turns exciting, funny, and poignant, the saga is enlivened by Craxton’s ebullient pictures. Ian Collins expands our understanding of the artist greatly―including an in-depth exploration of the storied, complicated friendship between Craxton and Lucian Freud, drawing on letters and memories that Craxton wanted to remain private until after his death.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Yale University Press (11 May 2021) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 384 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0300255292 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0300255294 |
| Dimensions | 16.41 x 3.61 x 24 cm |
by S. F. Moore
A cracking read. An account of one of the last gay bohemians, who took life on his terms – as a man and an artist – and lived it to the full well into his eighties. His was a kind of gay life of love affairs and sex with straight men, often in uniform, which is largely gone now, as Edmund White observes: it was ended by ‘heterosexual dating, prosperity, and the weakening of the Church, and all three things happened in Greece’ (p.332) where Craxton spent much of his life. It is a biography of an artist and the work- the book is beautifully illustrated throughout – is as important as the man. But what a character!
by Mr Fox the Elder
John Craxton told Ian Collins that he didn’t want anyone to write his biography, but luckily relented once he became acquainted with the writer. It’s a magnificent book, the life and the art are both covered sympathetically and Craxton’s family and friends are fascinating in their own right. If you own any of Patrick Leigh Fermor’s books you’ll know Craxton’s work, at least in miniature. His paintings are remarkable and his drawings, which are scattered throughout this book, exquisite.
All too many artists’ biographies make you think, thank heavens I never actually met this man. Craxton, however, sounds like great fun. I spent four weeks in his adopted Chania in the early 1980s and I truly wish our paths had crossed. Highly recommended.
by Allan Hildon
Why are so many biographies obsessed with events, places visited, and people met/bedded, but leave the person as dead at the end as they were at the begining? Ian Collins has an engaging writing style, and the book documents the neglected legacy of a once popular artist, but after reading this well informed account of Craxton’s life I still feel I know so little about him. I know he had a penchant for sex with shepherds and sailors who he never paid in a conventional sense, but I know nothing of what this meant to his sense of self or how it informed his artistic vision. Why are there so few women in the catalogue of his 50 plus years of portraiture? He was “charming” and smoked like a chimney, and apparently never held down a conventional job, prefering to live off the generosity of his friends, family, and aquaintances. He seemed to have lead a jolly good life unimpeded by the law in dreary London. The same could not be said for most of his working class chums. Allegedly, he grew a moustache so his Greek suitors wouldn’t assume he was a stereotypically effeminate English homosexual. And I thought the Americans invented The Clone.
The life portrayed in this biography is intriguing as a case study in the privileges once enjoyed by a white middle class man who could paint. I just wish I knew who John Craxton was.
by christine a
I love Chania area in Crete and I really enjoy Patrick Leigh Fermor’s writing so the connection between the two was enticing. The book is a delight – to read cover to cover or to dip into as another artist crops up. I can see connections in his style with Minoan art too.
by jstanhope
Really enjoyed this book, wonderful illustrations shaped by a life lived his own demands and desires.
by Philoctetes
Delight of a book which is of interest to those studying his life and his work (which is plentifully illustrated in colour).
by Eileen Stebbing
I lived in Chania for over ten years, in the 1980s/1990s and was fortunate to come to know John very well during that time
He was a great character, who certainly loved to talk, but not about himself on the whole (though he could be a dreadful name-dropper!). So much in this book then was quite new to me, even the parts which cover the years during which I knew him, adding a huge amount of detail to the man I was fortunate enough to be able to call a friend (despite a 35-year age gap).
A remarkable artist and a remarkable man. Ian Collins has done him proud.
by J.K.
Fascinating, detailed biography of John Craxton and his World. Craxton’s character leaps from the page. Beautifully illustrated throughout. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.