After his three dimensional reliefs, with their textured surfaces, Nicholson explored the way the illusion of space could be created through flat colour alone. The arrangement of colour in this unusually large painting has been compared to the disposition of objects in a still life. The juxtaposition of a few strong hues with a range of different tones of blue is typical of Nicholson’s work. Though distinct, such works reflected the artist’s familiarity with the art of his friend Piet Mondrian.