BEN NICHOLSON STILL LIFE AND ABSTRACTION
1931-36 (STILL LIFE - GREEK LANDSCAPE) 1931/36
Ben Nicholson (1894 – 1982)
Details
- Dimension
- 69 X 79 CM
- Media
- OIL ON CANVAS
- Accession number
- P60
Summary
In the course of the twenties, Nicholson’s understanding of Cubism developed, and took a different direction from that of Braque or Picasso in France. Still Life, Greek Landscape is one of a series of still lifes which Nicholson re-worked in 1936. The canvas was scraped down and the individual objects were set in a more sculptural space. Colour is controlled and subdued, and there is evidence of his characteristic lyricism. At this time Nicholson began making his pure white carved reliefs. With these abstractions he created an uncompromising, formal language that he continued to use for the rest of his life.
Glossary
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Canvas
A piece of cloth woven from flax, hemp or cotton fibres. The word has generally come to refer to any piece of firm, loosely woven fabric used to paint on. Its surface is typically prepared for painting by priming with a ground.