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Lot Essay
July 13-49 (Isle Tristan, Tréboul) depicts a harbour in Brittany where Ben Nicholson stayed during April 1949, before cutting his trip short due to the death of his father, William. The July date given in the title refers to the artist’s preference for painting inside using detailed sketches made in situ earlier in the year.
Nicholson uses his characteristic overlaid and finely incised outlines, placing solid blocks of colour in fresh greys, whites, and greens among them to affect a carefully orchestrated movement across the canvas. The assertive horizontal of the sea and hilly topography of Isle Tristan further draw the eye upwards. The vertical block on the right and horizontal form at the base of the composition can be read as a window frame, a feature that Nicholson repeatedly used as a framing device. The contrast between the bustle of the town and the tranquility of being inside with his canvas fascinated the artist throughout his career.
Tréboul is one of the many links between Nicholson and his close companion, Christopher Wood, who painted many of his most successful works here in the final years of his life. Many of the same architectural elements of the scene are identifiable in Wood’s paintings, such as Drying Nets, Tréboul Harbour. The Finistère coast bears undeniable resemblance to that of Cornwall, and both places were of significant inspiration to the artists. A further nod to Nicholson’s life in Cornwall is perhaps made in the inclusion of a simplistically described boat on a deep blue sea, reminiscent of those painted by Alfred Wallis, the fisherman who had so motivated Nicholson and Wood’s return to simplicity earlier in their careers.
We are very grateful to Rachel Smith and Lee Beard for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.
Nicholson uses his characteristic overlaid and finely incised outlines, placing solid blocks of colour in fresh greys, whites, and greens among them to affect a carefully orchestrated movement across the canvas. The assertive horizontal of the sea and hilly topography of Isle Tristan further draw the eye upwards. The vertical block on the right and horizontal form at the base of the composition can be read as a window frame, a feature that Nicholson repeatedly used as a framing device. The contrast between the bustle of the town and the tranquility of being inside with his canvas fascinated the artist throughout his career.
Tréboul is one of the many links between Nicholson and his close companion, Christopher Wood, who painted many of his most successful works here in the final years of his life. Many of the same architectural elements of the scene are identifiable in Wood’s paintings, such as Drying Nets, Tréboul Harbour. The Finistère coast bears undeniable resemblance to that of Cornwall, and both places were of significant inspiration to the artists. A further nod to Nicholson’s life in Cornwall is perhaps made in the inclusion of a simplistically described boat on a deep blue sea, reminiscent of those painted by Alfred Wallis, the fisherman who had so motivated Nicholson and Wood’s return to simplicity earlier in their careers.
We are very grateful to Rachel Smith and Lee Beard for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.