Somerset: the Paintings of John Caple

A unique publication about Somerset artist John Caple, designed entirely by the artist, exploring the stories and traditions of this region through his visionary paintings. The book includes an introduction by playwright and novelist Nell Leyshon. For generations John Caple’s family have been farmers and land-workers in the Mendips. Much of Caple’s art is concerned with the land, its inhabitants and the folklore of this area of Somerset. He began to paint about the collective folk memory of the Mendips: the festivals that still lingered on in certain villages, the healers and the cures, fortune-tellers, witches and ‘cunning men’. His neighbours still knew which house ‘Cunning Beacham’ used to live in; a relative might remember the way to repel an adder bite and how to use a heart charm to bring love. You are still as likely to find a magic charm as a bus ticket in a Somerset pocket. John Caple is represented by the John Martin Gallery. Limited edition prints of selected images by John Caple are available from KeyWest Editions.