Ben Nicholson 1894-1982
c. 1925 (Jamaïque), 1925
oil on canvas, laid on board, in the Artist’s frame
33 x 24.1 cm
13 x 9 1/2 in
13 x 9 1/2 in
signed
Ben Nicholson was a key twentieth-century British artist and early proponent of Modernism. This important early painting, from 1925, remained in the artist's family until it was sold for the...
Ben Nicholson was a key twentieth-century British artist and early proponent of Modernism. This important early painting, from 1925, remained in the artist's family until it was sold for the first time earlier this year. It is a significant example of Nicholson's early work, preceding his transition to geometric abstraction in the early 1930s.
Painted whilst living in Hampstead, Nicholson's studio was filled with objects that inspired him. From patterned mocha-ware jugs and cut glass goblets to spanners, hammers and chisels, these ordinary personal possessions were a source of almost endless inspiration to the artist. Still life was at the heart of Nicholson's artistic practice, and he explored tabletop forms throughout his career, in paintings, reliefs, prints, and drawings, until his later abstract works evolved. Through humble items, Nicholson experimented with bold form and colour. Early works such as this owe their inspiration to Ben's father, the painter William Nicholson, and also to the time spent with his first wife, Winifred Nicholson.
In the 1920s, Ben began creating representational and abstract works inspired by Post-Impressionism and Cubism. He first exhibited in 1919 at the Grosvenor Gallery and Grafton Galleries, and his first solo show was held at the Twenty-One Gallery in London in 1924. From 1924 to 1935, he was a member of the Seven and Five Society, exhibiting alongside Henry Moore, John Piper, Cedric Morris, Winifred, Christopher Wood, Hepworth and David Jones. In 1933, he joined Unit One, founded by Paul Nash.
Helped by broad international exposure through British Council tours during the 1940s and 1950s, and by the championing of the writer Herbert Read, Nicholson's work came to be seen, alongside Henry Moore's, as the quintessence of British Modernism. His work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, and the Yale Centre for British Art. Many books have been published on Nicholson, including a 2019 monograph from Lund Humphries.
Painted whilst living in Hampstead, Nicholson's studio was filled with objects that inspired him. From patterned mocha-ware jugs and cut glass goblets to spanners, hammers and chisels, these ordinary personal possessions were a source of almost endless inspiration to the artist. Still life was at the heart of Nicholson's artistic practice, and he explored tabletop forms throughout his career, in paintings, reliefs, prints, and drawings, until his later abstract works evolved. Through humble items, Nicholson experimented with bold form and colour. Early works such as this owe their inspiration to Ben's father, the painter William Nicholson, and also to the time spent with his first wife, Winifred Nicholson.
In the 1920s, Ben began creating representational and abstract works inspired by Post-Impressionism and Cubism. He first exhibited in 1919 at the Grosvenor Gallery and Grafton Galleries, and his first solo show was held at the Twenty-One Gallery in London in 1924. From 1924 to 1935, he was a member of the Seven and Five Society, exhibiting alongside Henry Moore, John Piper, Cedric Morris, Winifred, Christopher Wood, Hepworth and David Jones. In 1933, he joined Unit One, founded by Paul Nash.
Helped by broad international exposure through British Council tours during the 1940s and 1950s, and by the championing of the writer Herbert Read, Nicholson's work came to be seen, alongside Henry Moore's, as the quintessence of British Modernism. His work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, and the Yale Centre for British Art. Many books have been published on Nicholson, including a 2019 monograph from Lund Humphries.
Provenance
Wilfrid Roberts, the Artist's brother-in-law, and thence by descentExhibitions
Cambridge, Kettle’s Yard, on long term loan 2002 - 2005Leeds, Art Gallery, 'Art and Life: Ben Nicholson, Winifred Nicholson, Christopher Wood, Alfred Wallis & William Staite Murray, 1920-1931', October 2013 - January 2014, p.72, exhibition not numbered, illustrated: this exhibition travelled to Cambridge, Kettle's Yard, February - May 2014; and London, Dulwich Picture Gallery, June - September 2014
Literature
E. Birne, "At Kettle’s Yard: Ben and Winifred Nicholson", 'London Review of Books', Vol.36, No.8, 17 April 2014
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