1979 - A Celebrated Age: Alwin Gallery

Peter’s next exhibition at the Alwin gallery saw him moving away from depicting the elegance of the human form and focusing once again on the beauty and elegance of buildings, as he had previously achieved in his paintings of Bosworth House for ‘A Veil of Elegance’.

His artworks for A Celebrated Age, were inspired by late Victorian and Edwardian photographs of London pubs and landmarks. London pubs may seem an unusual subject, especially for a painter who had been described as a ‘romantic’ and had perfectly encapsulated the grace and romanticism of ballet dancers in his previous exhibition.

Here we see the intelligence and fine touch to his paintings.  The old pubs of yesteryear were places of often raucous conviviality, resplendent with sticky floors and the over-riding aroma of beer and hard liquor.  Peter’s touch transforms them into welcoming romanticized spaces.

The description of these works is most aptly described by the respected art critic Max Wykes-Joyce who says, ‘None is more keenly aware than Miller of the elegance of lace and silks, the rich patina of oak panels and mahogany furniture, the charm of lamplight upon brushed hair; and none is more capable of painting these themes with happy admiration.’

A number of paintings from various exhibitions were on display over the years at Blackpool Grand Theatre. One painting, of Buckingham Palace caught the eye of Prince Charles, who was visiting the theatre and he scrutinised the painting to point out where his nursery was.