John Minton was born in Great Shelford, England on Christmas Day 1917. Minton received his education in art at St John's Wood School of Art and studied abroad in France. He was in the Royal Pioneer Corps during World War II until being discharged in 1941 for medical reasons. Minton first started to get recognition for his work in costume design on John Gielgud's Hamlet in 1941. Minton was a very diverse and talented artist known for his commercial illustration, textile design, and fine art. Minton is thought to be one of the finest British artists of his generation. In 1957 Minton committed suicide after becoming depressed, feeling he was losing touch with the art world. This work is titled the "Hop Pickers" and was created in 1947. It is a landscape scene from the fields of Kent, England. Minton visited close friends who lived in Chart Sutton, a village near Kent, every year and paint. This work is watercolour, pen, gouache and chalk and measures 10 1/4" x 13 1/4".
