Artist John Miller “the Cornish Monet”
John Miller is best described by David Cornwell, (better known as the famous spy writer John Le Carré). In a recent publication of his private letter’s, Cornwell described John Miller as his “Best Friend”. Cornwell often enjoyed visiting and talking with the painter at Ferryman’s Rest, Miller’s beautiful seaside home on the beach in Lelant. Both men had a soft spot for the beautifully rugged and remote West Cornwall. In view of this, both had their private home and artist retreat not too far from each other in Penwith. Cornwell’s own home was near St Buryan just the other side of Penzance.
John Miller and Cornwall
Coming to Cornwall in the 1950s with his long-time friend, colleague and partner Michael Truscott for an architectural project John Miller got to meet many of the local artists that had congregated in and around St. Ives and Penzance. John Miller’s architectural skills were implemented at various locations, more notably on the re-design of the Newlyn Art Gallery.
The stunning nature of the Cornish landscape along with the special light and ever changing colours swiftly caught his attention. As a consequence, Miller’s style in painting changed dramatically over time, from early figurative landscapes of great beauty and detail, to later abstract sea and landscapes of vivid blocks of colour depicting the horizon where the sea meets the sky. John Miller enjoyed taking in the beauty of the view from the patio at Ferryman’s Rest in Lelant of the glorious Porthkidney Beach in order to create his famous sea and beach paintings. The panoramic views from The Beach House made it an obvious choice to become an art studio. Much of Miller’s painting took place in The Beach House. Or, if the weather permit painting took place outside on the Ferryman’s Rest patio.
John Miller The Man
In the funeral address for John Miller, in Penzance, in August 2002, David Cornwall said that a line of books could not cover the lives his very old and dear friend had led. Incarnations of the deceased had run to special soldier, restauranteur, actor, antiques dealer and architect: but “always, eternally, artist”.
The Cornwell/Le Carré eulogy insisted that a string of biographical volumes aiming to do justice to his late great friend would not include a single dishonourable page. And he concluded: “We shall never know a better man than John Miller – or a happier one.”
Faith
John Miller was a kind and generous patron to many good causes. He frequently supported Museums, Churches and Schools by the donation of paintings. The aim being for the work to help fund the organisation. At John Mller’s bequest, his estate donated an extensive Collection of his work, highlighting his generosity. The Collection is housed at the Sunrise Centre at Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro.
Taking an essentially religious perspective on life, as a result, John Miller as a consequence became a Member of the Society of St Francis. He played a significant pastoral role in Anglican activities in Cornwall in later years. John was a lay canon at Truro Cathedral, https://www.trurocathedral.org.uk and the creator of the large mural painting there: Cornubia-Land of the Saints. In this painting he included every (mediaeval?) Cornish church as a shaft of light falling on it, with the larger shaft of light is Truro Cathedral where you can see the original painting in all its glory.
The Artist’s Work
The Beach paintings amongst Miller’s varied work is extremely popular and it is still not so unusual to find a John Miller seascape hung up on screen or even on the Front Cover of a popular Record Album such as Chris Rea’s King of The Beach. Despite having many imitators, it is not surprising that none can quite grasp the pure perspective and simple subtlety that he so easily captured.
How he managed to do so might be reflected in his own words here:
Perspective
“One morning recently I was sitting on the balcony overlooking Bay and watched a yacht leave the harbour. At a certain distance it fitted neatly into a small triangle of rigging at the top of the mast of a similar yacht still in the harbour. I was fascinated and astounded by this. I knew that this phenomenon could quite easily be explained, but I didn’t want to engage in that. As the yacht travelled away and became small enough to fit into the top triangle of rigging of the stationary yacht I knew that I had received a revelation of time and space which had a significance beyond analysis.”
In today’s busy world these words are quite prophetic and good advice reminding us to take the time to sit and watch, so that then maybe we too can experience a “revelation in time and space”. In that abiding creative calling John Miller above all had been a “master and a mystic, certainly a visionary offering glimpses of the infinite.” Undoubtedly, in life as in art, so to complete the outline of a fair but very complex portrait
St Francis
His deep spiritual being is reflected in the inspiration for works such as his painting of St Francis Assisi “Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon”
Along with this Translation by John Miller of St Francis of Assisi’s “The Canticle of Brother Sun”
An extract:
All praise to Thee, my Lord, for all creation
And first, my Lord, for Brother Sun;
Who brings the day; and for the light you give to us through him.
How beautiful he is, how radiant and splendid.
How wonderfully he bears your likeness.
All praise, my Lord, to Thee for Sister Moon and the Stars;
In the heavens you made them,
All bright and precious and fair.
All praise, my Lord for Brothers, Wind and Air
and fair or stormy, all the weather’s moods,
By which you cherish all that you have made.
All praise to you, my Lord, for Sister Water,
So precious, useful, lowly and pure.
All praise be yours, my Lord, for Brother Fire
Through whom you brighten up the night
How bright and beautiful he is!
Full of power and strength.
All praise, my Lord, for Sister Earth, our Mother,
Who sees us in her sovereignty and produces Fruits and coloured Flowers and Herbs.
All praise, my Lord, be yours for Sister Death from whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Happy are those to endure in peace,
By You, Most High, they will be crowned.
Saint Francis of Assisi
Translation by John Miller
Where you can see or purchase John Miller’s Work
If you would like to see John Miller’s Famous “Cornubia, Land of the Saints” whilst you are in Cornwall, it is on display in Truro Cathedral. Well worth a visit!
If you are interested in either going to an Exhibition of John Miller’s work or purchasing an original John Miller painting, Messum’s (David Messum Fine Art) now represent John Miller’s Estate: https://www.messums.com/artists/view/49/John_Miller
Messum’s have also published this comprehensive catalogue https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/messums/cat_pdfs/John_Miller_2021_COMPLETE.pdf