Paul Nash

1889–1946

Paul Nash, ‘Totes Meer (Dead Sea)’ 1940–1 — Totes Meer (Dead Sea) 1940–1
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Modern Art and St Ives: Paris, London and St Ives 1920–1940

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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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Artworks

Paul Nash, ‘Totes Meer (Dead Sea)’ 1940–1

Paul Nash Totes Meer (Dead Sea)

1940–1

N05717

Paul Nash, ‘Landscape from a Dream’ 1936–8

Paul Nash Landscape from a Dream

1936–8

N05667

Paul Nash, ‘Equivalents for the Megaliths’ 1935

Paul Nash Equivalents for the Megaliths

1935

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art T01251

Paul Nash, ‘Swanage’ c.1936

Paul Nash Swanage

c.1936

T01771

Paul Nash, ‘The Cherry Orchard’ 1917

Paul Nash The Cherry Orchard

1917

T01946

Paul Nash, ‘Pillar and Moon’ 1932–42

Paul Nash Pillar and Moon

1932–42

N05392

Paul Nash, ‘Flight of the Magnolia’ 1944

Paul Nash Flight of the Magnolia

1944

T07552

Paul Nash, ‘The Messerschmitt in Windsor Great Park’ 1940

Paul Nash The Messerschmitt in Windsor Great Park

1940

N05716

Artist as subject

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 about Roger Fry, the Friday Club, and Paul Nash

[3 April 1917]

TGA 8910/8/2/351

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]

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]

TGA 8910/8/2/370

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 from John Nash to Christine Nash about a visit from Paul Nash and a commission

[20 November 1917]

TGA 8910/8/2/375

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 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]

TGA 8910/8/2/349

Paul Nash, ‘Black and white negative, view of the beach from a cafe, Nice’ [c.1933–4]

Paul Nash Black and white negative, view of the beach from a cafe, Nice

[c.1933–4]

TGA 7050PH/919

Anonymous, ‘Black and white negative, Paul Nash holding Pooh, in the backgarden of New House, Rye’ [c.1931–3]

Anonymous Black and white negative, Paul Nash holding Pooh, in the backgarden of New House, Rye

[c.1931–3]

TGA 7050PH/798

Anonymous, ‘Black and white negative, Paul Nash, Marseille harbour’ [c.1933–4]

Anonymous Black and white negative, Paul Nash, Marseille harbour

[c.1933–4]

TGA 7050PH/825

Anonymous Black and white negative, Paul Nash sketching, Whiteleaf

date not known

TGA 7050PH/870

Paul Nash, ‘Black and white negative of Lance Sieveking and his baby daughter Victoria at Great Glemham House, Suffolk’ 1931

Paul Nash Black and white negative of Lance Sieveking and his baby daughter Victoria at Great Glemham House, Suffolk

1931

TGA 7050PH/887

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 ...

Dr James Fox on Paul Nash film still

Watch

Dr James Fox on Paul Nash

Art historian Dr James Fox talks about the work of Paul Nash

Still image of The Dark Monarch

Watch

The Dark Monarch

Welcome to the world of The Dark Monarch, at Tate St Ives until 10 January 2010. Bracewell looks at eerie ...

Still image of Story of a Masterpiece: Paul Nash: Totes Meer

Watch

Story of a Masterpiece: Paul Nash: Totes Meer

The Hidden Emotion Behind a Masterpiece of War

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 ...

Bob and Roberta Smith, ‘Make Art Not War’ 1997

Art Term

War artists

War artists are artists who are commissioned through an official scheme to record the events of war

Paul Nash, ‘Equivalents for the Megaliths’ 1935

Art Term

Unit One

British group formed by Paul Nash in 1933 to promote modern art, architecture and design

Paul Nash, A Farm, Wytschaete, 1917

Tate Etc

Otto Dix and Paul Nash: Views from the First World War

Otto Dix and Paul Nash: Views from the First World War

Bathroom designed by Paul Nash for Austrian ballet dancer Tilly Losch in 1932, re-created 1978

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 ...

Paul Nash in military uniform

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 ...

Tacita Dean, ‘The Wreck of Worthing Pier’ 2001

Tate Etc

The detritus of the future and pleasure of the past: Ruin Lust at Tate Britain

The exhibition Ruin Lust at Tate Britain explores artists’ and subsequently photographers’ fascination with the ruin, via works from JMW ...

Paul Nash, ‘Equivalents for the Megaliths’ 1935

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 ...

Edward Burra, ‘Harlem’ 1934

Tate Papers

‘New Ways of Modern Bohemia’: Edward Burra in London, Paris, Marseilles and Harlem: Rothenstein Lecture

Paying close attention to Edward Burra’s letters, scrapbooks and other archival material, Andrew Stephenson reveals the impact that the ...

Paul Nash, ‘Mansions of the Dead’ 1932

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, still life’ 1934

Paul Nash Black and white negative, still life

1934

TGA 7050PH/490

Paul Nash, ‘Black and white negative, border plants and the bill of a swordfish’ [c.1936–9]

Paul Nash Black and white negative, border plants and the bill of a swordfish

[c.1936–9]

TGA 7050PH/558

Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar, ‘Letter from Paul Nash to Eileen Agar’ [8 October 1936]

Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar Letter from Paul Nash to Eileen Agar

[8 October 1936]

TGA 8712/1/20

Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar, ‘Letter from Paul Nash to Eileen Agar’ [1942]

Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar Letter from Paul Nash to Eileen Agar

[1942]

TGA 8712/1/49

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 Drawing of birds with pencil note at the bottom reading ‘a goose bone to the seagulls (old saying)’

[1935–46]

TGA 8712/2/7

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 Hand coloured lithograph of ‘Ghosts’, one of Nash’s illustrations from ‘Urne Burial’, initialled P

[1935–46]

TGA 8712/2/2

Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar, ‘‘Aerial Flowers’, by Paul Nash’ 1947

Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar ‘Aerial Flowers’, by Paul Nash

1947

TGA 8712/4/4

Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar, ‘Small booklet made by Paul Nash containing two black and white photographs’ 1940

Paul Nash, recipient: Eileen Agar Small booklet made by Paul Nash containing two black and white photographs

1940

TGA 8712/2/1

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