National Galleries of Scotland

During the 1960s Nicholson returned to producing relief works in a similar vein to those he had made in the 1930s. This work comprises carved board with a painted surface and graphite lines. Nicholson has, however, scraped off much of the warm white paint, to create a worn, textured surface. The composition includes an exact circle, which offers a stillness against the surrounding, irregular shaped forms. Although distinctly abstract, at this time Nicholson?s reliefs were often inspired by the landscape. The title refers to a visit Nicholson made to Paros in Greece in autumn 1961. With this in mind the two blocks of blue colour call to mind a clear, Mediterranean sky.