John Milne

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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John Milne

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1961
Purchased, 1999
Photographs Collection
NPG x132980

Sitterback to top

  • John Milne (1931-1978), Sculptor. Sitter in 10 portraits.

Artistback to top

  • Ida Kar (1908-1974), Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 1567 portraits, Sitter in 137 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Kar photographed Milne at Trewyn, his St Ives home, which had a garden adjoining Barbara Hepworth's studio.

Linked publicationsback to top

  • Freestone, Clare (appreciation) Wright, Karen (appreciation), Ida Kar Bohemian Photographer, 2011 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 10 March to 19 June 2011), p. 119 Read entry

    Milne studied electrical engineering at Salford Royal Technical College but transferred to the Art School in 1951 to study sculpture and painting. After briefly studying at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, and making the first of what would become regular visits to Greece, Milne moved to St Ives. He became the pupil of, and later assistant to, Barbara Hepworth, with whom he established a close friendship. Milne's early work was directly carved in stone, but from 1966 he started experimenting with metals and learned cold-casting methods for bronze and aluminium. His later work was influenced by the landscape and architecture of Greece. Kar photographed Milne at Trewyn, his St Ives home, which had a garden adjoined to Hepworth's studio. A close-up portrait of Milne holding one of his hand-carved sculptures, The Kiss, was the pose chosen for publication in the Tatler.

Placesback to top

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Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1961back to top

Current affairs

Peter Benenson's article The Forgotten Prisoners is published internationally, inspiring the founding of the human rights organisation, Amnesty International.
The philosopher and peace activist Bertrand Russell is imprisoned for inciting civil disobedience during a sit down demonstration at the Ministry of Defence and Hyde Park.
The farthing coin - used in Britain for the last 7 centuries - ceases to be legal tender.

Art and science

Rudolf Nureyev defects from the USSR fearing that the KGB would arrest him for being gay and for fraternising with foreigners. After seeking asylum in Paris he set up home in London at the Royal Ballet and began his famous partnership with Margot Fonteyn.
The satirical magazine, Private Eye is first published.

International

The East German government erects the Berlin Wall, ceasing free movement between East and West Berlin. The barrier prevented citizens of Soviet controlled East Germany from crossing the border into West Germany to work, or to defect.
Yuri Gagarin, the soviet cosmonaut, becomes the first man in space orbiting the earth on the 12th April.

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