Ben Nicholson

1939 (composition)

1939 (composition) by Ben Nicholson

Artwork Detail

Ben Nicholson responded to the way modernism valued strength of expression – the way colour and form could ‘stand for’ an object – rather than describing it realistically. Like many modernists, he believed you could find truth and freshness in the way a painting was constructed. He began making white reliefs in the 1920s, overlaying geometric shapes and carving into surfaces, which led on to his exploration of pure planes of colour. His initial response to Piet Mondrian’s use of colour was sensory, but when the latter stayed with Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth in London in 1938, he provided the stimulus for the harmonious formal qualities of works such as '1939 (Composition)'.

Title
1939 (composition)
Artist/creator
Ben Nicholson
Production date
1939
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
560 x 711 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Thanksgiving Foundation, 2023
Accession no
2023/8/5
Other ID
L2008/5 Old Accession Number
Copyright
Copying restrictions apply
Department
International Art
Display status
On display

To find out which artworks are available for print requests and reproduction please enquire here. This service only applies to select artworks in the Gallery's collection.