Key Information
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Byrne, John
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1940-
History
Scottish artist. Attended The Glasgow School of Art 1958-1963.
Prizes won in 1963 –Chalmers Bursary (RSA Painting Competition), £30
Newbery Medal (GSA medal awarded to best student)
W.O. Hutchison (GSA medal awarded to best D&P student), £3-10/-
Bellahouston Scholarship (GSA travelling scholarship), £500
John Byrne has gone on to become a successful television and theatre writer, painter and illustrator. In the 1960s and 1970s he produced a number of naive, dream-like paintings influenced by Douanier Rousseau which he signed 'Patrick'. These works reveal great technical mastery and have become symbols of the pop music of the era, especially his portrait of the Beatles painted for The Illustrated Beatles Lyrics. He also painted a portrait of comedian Billy Connolly and produced several influential records sleeves.
A master of many styles, Byrne is also a capable still life and portrait painter in a more traditional manner.