Mervyn Laurence Peake
(1911-1968), Artist and writerSitter in 2 portraits
Artist of 2 portraits
Born of British parents in China, Mervyn Peake was an acclaimed writer, poet, artist, illustrator and theatrical designer. His trademark in both painting and writing is a whimsical streak of fantasy tinged with the macabre. In 1946 he was sent to Germany and made drawings at the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen that profoundly influenced his later work. His posthumous reputation rests mainly on his trilogy of novels - Titus Groan (1946), Gormenghast (1950) and Titus Alone (1959). Peake suffered from Parkinson's and died before he could complete the series. A fourth book, Titus Awakes, written by Peake's widow Maeve Gilmore using notes left by the author, was discovered in the attic of the family home.
by Mervyn Laurence Peake
oil on canvas, 1932
NPG 7074
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