Ben Nicholson (1894-1982)

Painter and relief-maker, born Benjamin Lauder Nicholson at Denham, Buckinghamshire the son of artist William Nicholson. He studied at the Slade School, 1910-11 and travelled extensively during the period 1912-18. In 1920 he married Winifred Dacre and held his first solo exhibition in 1922 at the Adelphi Gallery in London. During the 1920’s Nicholson made regular visits to Paris becoming more influenced by the abstract art he saw there. With Barbara Hepworth, whom he later married, he joined Abstraction-Creation, exhibited at the 7 & 5 Society and was a member of Unit One. In 1937 he co-edited 'Circle', a compendium of constructivist art. During the period 1939-58, he lived at Carbis Bay and while there showed with the Penwith Society of Arts. During his stay in Cornwall, he was also associated with the St. Ives School and artists such as Terry Frost, Barbara Hepworth, Roger Hilton, the Martin's, William Scott, Robert Adams a