Ben Nicholson

1970 (invisible circle)

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About this artwork

Nicholson’s reliefs were often made in response to the artist’s experience of landscape. Indeed, the muted colour of this work appears to be inspired by nature – Nicholson once said ‘What is more beautiful than the natural “inner” colour of wood and stone?’ The relief is created from a flat board, carved to form overlapping planes and an incised circle. The precision of these shapes contrasts with the textured surface of the relief. Nicholson created this effect on his works by scrubbing, scratching and cutting them, rubbing paint on and off to replicate the effects of weather and time as if they were natural objects. This relief was made in the year before Nicholson left Switzerland to return to live in England.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Ben Nicholson (1894 - 1982) English
  • title:
    1970 (invisible circle)
  • date created:
    1970
  • materials:
    Hardboard relief with oil wash
  • measurements:
    53.00 x 48.00 cm; Framed: 55.80 x 50.60 x 4.40 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Presented by Felicitas Vogler 2006
  • accession number:
    GMA 4792
  • gallery:
  • subject:
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Ben Nicholson

Ben Nicholson