1936 (white relief sculpture - version 1)
- Artist: Ben Nicholson OM
- Date: 1936
- Medium: Plaster on wooden base
- Dimensions: object: 230 x 255 x 158 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “1936 (white relief sculpture – version 1)” by Ben Nicholson OM. Carved in plaster of Paris onto a wooden base painted grey, it’s one of only two surviving sculptural works from his early‑1930s studio where he shared space with Barbara Hepworth. The piece was exhibited at the Duncan‑Miller Showrooms in London during the 1936 “Modern Painting for Modern Rooms” show, meant to illustrate how contemporary art could complement modern interiors.
Its surface is a series of slightly pitted planes – an L‑shaped front plane narrowing upward and an offset rectangle that frames a circular dish. Behind the base you can see the wood grain where paint has rubbed off, adding texture. The white plaster mottles as light falls on it, echoing the purity of modernist architecture.
The arrangement of irregular geometric shapes recalls early 20th‑century architectural forms, while the fine filing marks show Nicholson’s hand working the plaster. This work was bought by the collection in 1997.
See it in person
1936 (white relief sculpture - version 1) is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
