Oil paint and graphite on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/ben-nicholson-om-1702" aria-label="More by Ben Nicholson OM" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Ben Nicholson OM</a>
1945 still life
Purchased 1945
abstraction
bottle
colour
cubist space
cup / mug
emotions, concepts and ideas
formal qualities
from recognisable sources
furnishings
geometric
irregular forms
kitchen
man-made
non-representational
objects
table
vessels and containers
<p>In 1945 Nicholson returned to the subject of table-top still lifes, producing a series of works in which the foreground objects and background are compressed. In this picture the combination of subtle shades and tones with more vivid white and scarlet, is typical of the range of colours he favoured in the early post-war period. The colour contrasts are used to help define the individual shapes of the densely-grouped still life objects, within the overall very abstract composition.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint graphite canvas
13 November 2000 – 17 March 2002
2002-03-17
13 November 2000 – 17 March 2002
2002-03-17
2000-11-13
Tate Modern (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/
2000-11-13
Ben Nicholson
Collection based display
7 February 2004 – 25 July 2004
2004-07-25
7 February 2004 – 28 March 2004
2004-03-28
2004-02-07
Museum of Modern Art Hayama (Hayama, Japan)
9 April 2004 – 23 May 2004
2004-05-23
2004-04-09
Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art (Nagoya, Japan)
29 May 2004 – 25 July 2004
2004-07-25
2004-05-29
Tokyo Station Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
http://www.ejrcf-or.jp- Art -
2004-02-07
Ben Nicholson Retrospective
Loan-out
7 July 2008 – 4 January 2009
2009-01-04
7 July 2008 – 21 September 2008
2008-09-21
2008-07-07
Abbot Hall Art Gallery (Kendal, UK)
http://www.abbothall.org.uk
11 October 2008 – 4 January 2009
2009-01-04
2008-10-11
De La Warr Pavilion (Bexhill on Sea, UK)
http://www.dlwp.com/
2008-07-07
Ben Nicholson
Loan-out
1 December 2011 – 4 March 2012
2012-03-04
1 December 2011 – 4 March 2012
2012-03-04
2011-12-01
Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (Middlesbrough, UK)
http://www.visitmima.com/
2011-12-01
Between Dimensions: the representation of the object
Loan-out
17 May 2014 – 25 January 2015
2015-01-25
17 May 2014 – 28 September 2014
2014-09-28
2014-05-17
Tate St Ives (St Ives, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/stives/
24 October 2014 – 25 January 2015
2015-01-25
2014-10-24
Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (Middlesbrough, UK)
http://www.visitmima.com/
2014-05-17
International Exchanges: St Ives and Modern Art, 1915 - 1965
Exhibition
17 May 2014 – 31 January 2015
2015-01-31
1 October 2014 – 31 January 2015
2015-01-31
2014-10-01
Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (Middlesbrough, UK)
http://www.visitmima.com/
2014-05-17
International Exchanges: St Ives and Modern Art, 1915 - 1965
Loan-out
14 October 2017 – 31 January 2021
2021-01-31
14 October 2017 – 31 January 2021
2021-01-31
2017-10-14
Tate St Ives (St Ives, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/stives/
2017-10-14
Modern Art and St Ives
Collection based display
1945 (still life)
support: 838 × 660 mm
frame: 867 × 690 × 61 mm
Purchased 1945
<p>In 1945 Nicholson returned to the subject of  table-top <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/still-life" title="Glossary definition for 'Still life'"><span>still lifes</span></a>, producing a series of works  in which the foreground objects and background are  compressed. In this picture the combination of  subtle shades and <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/tone" title="Glossary definition for 'Tone'"><span>tones</span></a> with more vivid white and  scarlet, is typical of the range of colours he  favoured in the early post-war period. The colour  contrasts are used to help define the individual  shapes of the densely-grouped still life objects,  within the overall very <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/a/abstract-art" title="Glossary definition for 'Abstract art'"><span>abstract</span></a> <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/composition" title="Glossary definition for 'Composition'"><span>composition</span></a>.</p>
Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N05626</b> STILL LIFE 1945</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inscr. ‘Ben Nicholson 1945’ on turnover of canvas.
<br/>Canvas, 33×26 (84×66).
<br/>Purchased from the artist through the Lefevre Gallery (Knapping Fund) 1945.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> Lefevre Gallery, October 1945 (41).
<br/><i>Repr:</i> Robin Ironside, <i>Painting since 1939</i>, 1947, facing p.20; Read, I, 1948, pl.158.</p>
<p>For a later, more <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/a/abstract-art" title="Glossary definition for 'Abstract art'"><span>abstract</span></a>, treatment of this theme see <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/nicholson-feb-28-53-vertical-seconds-t00051" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>T00051</span></a> below.</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-08T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
abstraction bottle colour cubist space cup / mug emotions, concepts and ideas formal qualities from recognisable sources furnishings geometric irregular forms kitchen man-made non-representational objects table vessels and containers