Nina Hamnett, The Landlady 1918. Tate. © Estate of Nina Hamnett / Bridgeman Images 2023.
15 rooms in Historic and Early Modern British Art
This spotlight display explores the work of Nina Hamnett. She was known as the ‘Queen of Bohemia’ for her role in the avant-garde circles of London and Paris
Nina Hamnett (1890–1956) was a Welsh-born artist and writer. Rebelling against her strict upbringing, she studied art in London before moving to Paris. There, she joined the thriving bohemian community in Montparnasse. She later returned to London and became a familiar presence in its creative scene, forging friendships with innovative artists, writers and thinkers.
Hamnett developed a distinctive post-impressionist style of painting, using strong lines, vivid colours and flattened shapes to convey an emotional response to her subjects. She often depicted her avant-garde friends and acquaintances, describing her ambition ‘to paint psychological portraits that shall represent accurately the spirit of the age’. She also created decorative items at the Omega Workshops, taught life drawing and wrote lively memoirs about her life in London and Paris.
Outspoken and unconventional, Hamnett was a symbol of a new generation of modern women. Her relationships with both men and women reflected the same independent spirit that characterised her work. She wrote: ‘I did not know much about anarchy, but I thought that any kind of revolt against anything was good.’ Although her later years were marked by hardship, Hamnett’s legacy is one of fearless creativity and individuality.