'circa 1936 (sculpture)', Ben Nicholson OM

Artwork details

Artist

Ben Nicholson OM (1894‑1982)

Title

circa 1936 (sculpture)

Date c.1936

MediumPainted wood

Dimensionsobject: 228 x 305 x 241 mm

Collection

Tate

Acquisition Purchased 1985

Reference

T04119

On display at Tate Modern

Theme: Level 4: Structure and Clarity

Room: Around Abstract Art 1920-1935 (Room 5)

Summary

This work, c.1936 (sculpture), is one of two sculptures by Nicholson in the Tate's collection. Made from a block of hardwood, it was created by a combination of sawing, sanding and planing. All the faces have been painted white with the exception of the underside, which remains in its natural state. The second sculpture (Tate Gallery T07274) is carved from a block of plaster.

Nicholson's practice of carving reliefs led him naturally to explore the possibility of making sculpture, which he was encouraged to do while sharing a studio with his second wife, the sculptor Barbara Hepworth. He wrote to his estranged wife, the artist Winifred Nicholson, on 24 February [?1936] that he had just made his first sculpture 'which feels pretty exciting I can tell you ..… (read more)