keith vaughan (1912-1977)

Born in Sussex in 1912, Vaughan had no formal art training. During World War II he came into contact with the Neo-Romantic painters, such as Graham Sutherland and John Minton, who had a huge impact on his work.

His first one-man show of drawings was at Lefevre Gallery in 1942, this was followed in 1946 by one of his oil paintings. He painted the Theseus mural decoration in the Festival of Britain Dome of Discovery in 1951. Vaughan taught at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts from 1946-8. From 1948-57 he taught at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and from 1954 he was at the Slade School of Fine Art.

Vaughan is a major figure in modern British art, a constant theme in his work is the male nude in the landscape with his work becoming more abstract in later years. His large body of work includes paintings as well as drawings and illustrations.

The Tate Gallery and many other public galleries hold his work.

Vaughan's published journals are extremely insightful and provide a window into both the themes that motivated his art and his fascinating but ultimately sad private life.