Ben Nicholson

1935 (white relief)

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About this artwork

Nicholson's first relief painting was made on a trip to Paris in 1933. While working on a painting, part of the thick white ground chipped off, leaving two distinct layers. He exploited this accident in a series of white reliefs made in the mid-to-late 1930s, and continued to produce reliefs throughout his career. Nicholson was influenced by the purity of the works of Mondrian, whose studio he had visited in 1933. His friendships with Barbara Hepworth (they were married in 1938) and Henry Moore may also have prompted this move into three-dimensional art.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Ben Nicholson (1894 - 1982) English
  • title:
    1935 (white relief)
  • date created:
    1935
  • materials:
    Oil on carved board
  • measurements:
    Interior board: 33.30 x 43.80 cm; Board: 54.00 x 64.30 cm; Framed: 56.50 x 66.50 x 4.80 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Purchased 1980
  • accession number:
    GMA 2149
  • gallery:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
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Ben Nicholson

Ben Nicholson