Born near Cambridge, John Minton studied at St John’s Wood Art Schools (1935-1938). A year in Paris introduced him to French Neo-Romanticism and Picasso. A conscientious objector during the Second World War, Minton produced stage designs and taught at Camberwell and Central Schools of Art, London. He later taught at the Royal College of Art (1948-1957), known as an inspiring teacher. A prolific artist, he had eight solo exhibitions from 1945 to 1956. His commercial graphic designs epitomised a characteristic early 1950s style. Although often associated with bohemian London, Minton travelled to Corsica, Spain, Morocco and the West Indies. Disillusioned by the popularity of abstract art, Minton committed suicide at the age of forty.
