John Berger (November 5, 1926 – January 2, 2017) stands as a towering figure in British intellectual history, renowned for his multifaceted career as an essayist, novelist, critic, and screenwriter. His work, characterized by a deep engagement with both art and social issues, challenged conventional perspectives and resonated deeply with audiences worldwide. While perhaps best known for his seminal work Ways of Seeing and the novel G., Berger’s contributions extend far beyond these milestones, encompassing poetry, translation, and a consistent commitment to exploring the relationship between art, society, and individual experience.
Born in London, John Berger’s initial foray into the arts began at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, now Central Saint Martins. However, his artistic education was interrupted by his service in the British Army during and immediately after World War II. This period of military service, from 1944 to 1946, profoundly shaped his worldview, instilling in him a critical perspective on societal structures and power dynamics that would permeate his later work. Upon returning to civilian life in 1946, Berger continued his artistic pursuits at the Chelsea School of Art, focusing on drawing and painting. By the 1950s, his creative energies expanded to include writing, and he began contributing art criticism to prominent publications such as the New Statesman and New Society.
Berger’s perspective on art was deeply rooted in his socialist convictions. He firmly believed that art should be a reflection of society, capable of expressing and addressing its most pressing concerns. This belief is evident in his early writings and his choice of subjects. His first novel, A Painter of Our Time (1958), explored the lives of émigré artists in London, drawing from his own experiences and observations within this community. This was followed by Permanent Red: Essays in Seeing (1960), a collection of his art essays that further solidified his reputation as a perceptive and often provocative critic. His artistic inclinations leaned towards Cubism, particularly the works of Pablo Picasso and Fernand Léger. However, his engagement with these masters was far from uncritical. In The Success and Failure of Picasso (1965), Berger sparked controversy by arguing that while Picasso’s Cubist period represented artistic progress, much of his later work signified a “failure of revolutionary nerve,” reflecting Berger’s consistent demand for art to maintain its social and political relevance. Continuing his exploration of art and politics, Art and Revolution: Ernst Neizvestny and the Role of the Artist in the U.S.S.R. (1969) showcased his admiration for the dissident Soviet sculptor Ernst Neizvestny, praising his art as a contribution to the “world struggle against imperialism,” even as it faced rejection from the Soviet regime itself.
John Berger’s versatility extended beyond art criticism and novels. He collaborated with photographer Jean Mohr on A Fortunate Man: The Story of a Country Doctor (1967) and A Seventh Man (1975), powerful works that combined Berger’s insightful prose with Mohr’s poignant photographs to explore the lives of a rural doctor and European migrant workers, respectively. His literary talents also encompassed translation, bringing the works of Bertolt Brecht and Aimé Césaire to English-speaking audiences. In 1972, Berger achieved widespread recognition with his novel G., which won the Man Booker Prize. G. is celebrated for its innovative narrative structure, rich detail, and exploration of complex sexual and interpersonal relationships within a historical context. That same year marked another pivotal moment in Berger’s career with the BBC television series Ways of Seeing. Developed alongside a book of the same name, Ways of Seeing became a landmark in art history education. It challenged traditional, often elitist, approaches to art appreciation, demystifying art history and exposing the underlying ideologies embedded within visual culture. Ways of Seeing argued that the way we see things is influenced by what we know and what we believe, and it remains a highly influential text in art and media studies today.
In 1974, John Berger relocated to a small village in the French Alps, a move that marked a significant shift in his life and work. Living in rural France for four decades profoundly influenced his writing, turning his attention to the experiences of peasant life and rural communities. During this period, he collaborated with Swiss film director Alain Tanner on several screenplays, including the critically acclaimed Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (1976), a film that captured the spirit of post-1968 social and political reflections through the lives of a group of individuals in Geneva. His immersion in rural life also gave rise to the trilogy Into Their Labours, comprising Pig Earth (1979), Once in Europa (1987), and Lilac and Flag: An Old Wives’ Tale of a City (1990). These works offered a deeply empathetic and nuanced portrayal of peasant culture and the transformations of rural life. Berger continued his collaboration with Jean Mohr in Another Way of Telling (1982), further exploring the complexities of photography and its capacity to represent reality.
In the later decades of his life, John Berger returned to exhibiting his own drawings and paintings, showcasing his visual art in New York City and England starting in 1994. He remained remarkably productive in his later years, publishing a wide range of works throughout the 1990s and 2000s. These included novels such as To the Wedding (1995), Photocopies (1996), and King: A Street Story (1999); the semi-autobiographical Here Is Where We Meet (2005); and From A to X: A Story in Letters (2008), which was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize. He also continued to produce insightful essays and art criticism, with notable titles such as The Shape of a Pocket (2001), Hold Everything Dear: Dispatches on Survival and Resistance (2007), Understanding a Photograph (2013), and Daumier: Visions of Paris (2013). In 2009, John Berger’s lifelong contributions to literature and cultural thought were recognized with the Golden PEN Award, a testament to the profound and lasting impact of his work on readers worldwide. John Berger’s legacy endures as a powerful reminder of the vital role of art and critical thought in understanding and transforming the world around us.
