Biography
Paul Nash (11 May 1889 – 11 July 1946) was a British surrealist painter and war artist, as well as a photographer, writer and designer of applied art. Nash was among the most important landscape artists of the first half of the twentieth century. He played a key role in the development of Modernism in English art.
Born in London, Nash grew up in Buckinghamshire where he developed a love of the landscape. He entered the Slade School of Art but was poor at figure drawing and concentrated on landscape painting. Nash found much inspiration in landscapes with elements of ancient history, such as burial mounds, Iron Age hill forts such as Wittenham Clumps and the standing stones at Avebury in Wiltshire. The artworks he produced during World War I are among the most iconic images of the conflict. After the war Nash continued to focus on landscape painting, originally in a formalized, decorative style but, throughout the 1930s, in an increasingly abstract and surreal manner. In his paintings he often placed everyday objects into a landscape to give them a new identity and symbolism.
During World War II, although sick with the asthmatic condition that would kill him, he produced two series of anthropomorphic depictions of aircraft, before producing a number of landscapes rich in symbolism with an intense mystical quality. These have perhaps become among the best known works from the period. Nash was also a fine book illustrator, and also designed stage scenery, fabrics and posters.
He was the older brother of the artist John Nash.
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Read full Wikipedia entryArtworks
Paul Nash Totes Meer (Dead Sea)
1940–1
Paul Nash Landscape from a Dream
1936–8
Paul Nash Pillar and Moon
1932–42
Artist as subject
John Nash, recipient: Christine Nash Illustrated from John Nash to Christine Nash about a visit from Paul Nash and a commission
[20 November 1917]
John Nash, recipient: Christine Nash Illustrated letter from John Nash to Christine Nash about his work for the Friday Club, his work ‘The Viaduct’ c. 1916, and his works being sent to the U.S.A.
[29 January 1917]
John Nash, recipient: Christine Nash Letter from John Nash to Christine Nash about Roger Fry, the Friday Club, and Paul Nash
[3 April 1917]
John Nash, recipient: Christine Nash Letter from John Nash to Christine Nash with illustration of his pack and concerning his section commander, Degas’s death, and Paul Nash
[1 October 1917]
Anonymous Black and white negative, Paul Nash, Marseille harbour
[c.1933–4]
Anonymous Black and white negative, Paul Nash sketching, Whiteleaf
date not known
Film and audio
TateShots
Dave McKean on Paul Nash 'The trenches completely changed him'
Illustrator, filmmaker and comic book artist Dave McKean tells us how the art of Paul Nash influenced on his own ...
Watch
The Dark Monarch
Welcome to the world of The Dark Monarch, at Tate St Ives until 10 January 2010. Bracewell looks at eerie ...
Features
Tate Etc
Objects That Speak for Themselves
Since the birth of humans as sentient beings, we have believed in the animistic nature of things – of plants ...
Art Term
War artists
War artists are artists who are commissioned through an official scheme to record the events of war
Art Term
Unit One
British group formed by Paul Nash in 1933 to promote modern art, architecture and design
Tate Etc
Otto Dix and Paul Nash: Views from the First World War
Otto Dix and Paul Nash: Views from the First World War
Tate Etc
From the Surreal to the Decorative
He is best known for his paintings from both world wars, as well as his surreal English landscapes, but Paul ...
Blog
Archives & Access project: Artists in wartime
As part of her work on Tate’s Archives & Access project Liane MacIver, Archive Data Inputter, looks at Paul Nash ...
Tate Etc
Paul Nash's Equivalents for the Megaliths 1935: Tate Britain Rehang
Tate Etc. invited a selection of contemporary artists featured in the new rehang of British art at Tate Britain to ...
Tate Papers
Blog
Paul Nash and his mysterious watercolour Mansions of the Dead
In Paul Nash's words, this watercolour shows 'aeriel habitations where the soul like a bird or some such aeriel ...
Sketches, letters, etc.
Paul Nash Black and white negative, Springfield
date not known
Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar Illustrated letter from Paul Nash to Eileen Agar
[1944]
Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar Letter from Paul Nash to Eileen Agar
[15 July 1936]
Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar Drawing of birds with pencil note at the bottom reading ‘a goose bone to the seagulls (old saying)’
[1935–46]
Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar Hand coloured lithograph of ‘Ghosts’, one of Nash’s illustrations from ‘Urne Burial’, initialled P
[1935–46]
Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar ‘Aerial Flowers’, by Paul Nash
1947
Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar Small booklet made by Paul Nash containing two black and white photographs
1940
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