John Lawrence
‘The Rowlandson of the twentieth-century engraving school…his wit and humour and essentially English.’ Dictionary of Twentieth Century Book Illustrators.
John Lawrence is a classic English illustrator and wood engraver, probably the most eminent engraver of his generation. He trained at Hastings Art School and the Central School of Arts and Crafts, where he was introduced to wood engraving by Gertrude Hermes.
John taught at Brighton College of Art until 1968, and then at Camberwell School of Art for over thirty years. In 1990 he served as Master of the Artworkers’ Guild. John Lawrence’s own books include Good Babies, Bad Babies, and Rabbit and Pork.
Twice the winner of the Francis Williams Award for illustration (sponsored by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London), and twice runner-up for the Kurt Emil Maschler Award, he has illustrated a large number of books for both adults and children including Watership Down by Richard Adams, The Magic Apple Tree: A Country Year by Susan Hill, and two books by Paul Theroux. As well as an engraver he is a gifted water colourist.
His works are included in collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, The Ashmolean Museum Oxford, and in the United States.
John lives with his wife Myra in Cambridgeshire and continues to work full time as an author/illustrator.