1923 (Castagnola)
About this artwork
In 1920 Ben Nicholson and his wife Winifred bought a villa at Castagnola in Switzerland. The couple spent several winters there painting the surrounding landscape. However, through dissatisfaction Ben Nicholson destroyed, or simply painted over, most of the canvases from this period. In some of the surviving works from around 1921-3 the influence of Paul Cézanne is evident, highlighted here in the bold handling of the paint. Many of Nicholson’s paintings were executed outside in the snow, creating lighter palette. This work displays a similar tonal quality over the whole surface except for the small house, which is almost centralised on the board.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Ben Nicholson (1894 - 1982) English
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title:1923 (Castagnola)
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date created:1923
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materials:Oil on board
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measurements:56.00 x 69.00 cm; Framed: 69.20 x 82.00 x 9.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Bequeathed by Felicitas Vogler 2007
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accession number:GMA 4876
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gallery:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Ben Nicholson
Ben Nicholson
Ben Nicholson was the eldest son of the painters William Nicholson and Mabel Pryde. He did not devote himself seriously to art until 1920, the same year he married the artist Winifred Roberts. His early works were simple and traditional still lifes. In 1921 he saw an exhibition of cubist paintings...