Art at The Park ‘Window on the World’ by Peter Le Vasseur

Peter Le Vasseur's paintings depict strong images, often linked to environmental themes, and characterised by their intricate level of detail. In the past four decades he has gained international recognition. He has held exhibitions in Europe, the Middle East and the United States of America.

Le Vasseur was born in the Channel Islands in 1938. He and his parents left as refugees, travelling to England, prior to the occupation of all the Channel Islands by the Nazis. In 1951, aged thirteen, he won a scholarship to Harrow Art College. In 1963, his first exhibition, at the Portal Gallery in Mayfair, London, was a sell out. This first show led to a further five one-man shows at this gallery over the next ten years.

During the sixties, Le Vasseur sold paintings to the Beatles, film stars Rod Steiger and Jerry Lewis, and many other well known people, including the Duke of Bedford and Lord Porchester. Le Vasseur had a painting in the book "The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics", which sold three and a half million copies. Fellow contributors to the book were David Hockney, Allen Jones, Erté, David Bailey, and Sir Eduardo Paolozzi. Other clients include Oliver Reed, Derek Nimmo, Michael Portillo, Ava Gardner, Clare Bloom, HRH Princess Anne, HH Prince Sudruddin Aga Khan and Lord Beaumont of Whitby.

In 1969 David Puttnam (now Lord Puttnam) acquired a commission for Le Vasseur to produce a series of paintings for The Sunday Times and the National Film Archive, entitled "The History of Cinema". In 1971 this won an award for the Sunday Times. In 1975 Peter decided to return to live in the Channel Islands with his wife Linda, where he works in a cottage tucked away in the lanes of St. Pierre du Bois in Guernsey.

In 1993 he was the first artist to win an Earthwatch Scientific Foundation Fellowship, which enabled him to document the flora and fauna of the fast disappearing rain forests of South America. He has also travelled widely in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. In Africa, during the last ten years, Le Vasseur has visited Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt,Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa, collecting material for his paintings. He also has visited Sri Lanka and the rain forest of St Lucia to research paintings.

In 2023 the definitive book about Le Vasseur’s life and work, A Brush with Life, was published, printed by The Lutterworth Press and written by Jason Monaghan. Le Vasseur continues to produce strong images that portray his clear appreciation of the natural world and warning us of the consequences if humankind continues to exploit its resources.

Contact :

Tel: 01481 264047:

Email: linda@cwgsy.net

Website: www.peterlevasseur.com

Address: Coin des Arquets, Les Arquets, Rue de Catillon, St Pierre du Bois, Guernsey. GY7 9HE Channel Islands

The exhibition will be on display at National Trust of Guernsey’s Art at The Park Gallery, The Folk and Costume Museum, Saumarez Park from Tuesday 30^th April to Friday 21^st May. Open 10am–5pm seven days a week. 

Admission is free. The Museum is access-friendly. ­

Contact

Art at The Park

National Trust of Guernsey Folk and Costume Museum

Saumarez Park

GY5 7UJ

T: 01481 255384

E: museumcoordinator@nationaltrust.gg

Visit Website: https://nationaltrust.gg/places/folk-costume-museum

Entry and Accessibility

Free entry

The Gallery and Museum are access-friendly

How to find us

Perry's guide: 15G2

Bus routes: 41 and 42

Location: Saumarez Park, Castel, GY5 7UJ