Following his return from Switzerland to live in England in 1971, Ben Nicholson made frequent drawing trips around Britain and Europe with his companion Angela Taunt. Many of the drawings Nicholson made on his trips feature architecture, such as the series of drawings he made of the distinctive cathedral in Siena. However, the group of three drawings the artist made of Madingley Hall are more whimsical and child-like in their depiction of the entrance gate to the building. Madingley Hall is a sixteenth century country house found in the village of Madingley, three miles outside Cambridge. Nicholson’s drawing captures the essence of the place by selecting distinctive parts of the scene and enlivens it through his use of a flowing, playful line.