Ben Nicholson English artist, outstanding master of abstract art. Date of Birth: 10.04.1894 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Ben Nicholson
2. Early Life and Education
3. Artistic Concept
4. Cornwall Years and Late Style
5. Legacy and Death

Biography of Ben Nicholson

Ben Nicholson was an English artist and a prominent master of abstract art. He was born on April 10, 1894, in Denham, Buckinghamshire, the son of renowned English painter and engraver Sir William Nicholson.

Early Life and Education

In 1910-1911, Nicholson studied at the Slade School of Fine Art. During the 1920s, he traveled to Paris, where he became acquainted with synthetic cubism, a movement that heavily influenced his artistic style.

Artistic Concept

Nicholson's creative concept took shape in the period between the two World Wars. His artworks featured overlapping forms connected by incised lines on the plane. He began experimenting with carved geometric reliefs in 1931, aiming to preserve the natural roughness of the surface, which can be seen in his "White Reliefs". Nicholson pushed abstraction to its logical limit with the same meticulousness as his friend Piet Mondrian.

Cornwall Years and Late Style

During World War II and for the following 17 years, Nicholson lived in St Ives, Cornwall. The beauty of nature, the play of light, and the almost musical dialogue between the sea and the land seemed to soften his austere style. In his later reliefs, color and a "painterly" effect reappeared.

Legacy and Death

Ben Nicholson passed away on February 6, 1982, in London. He left behind a significant legacy as an English artist who contributed greatly to the development of abstract art. His innovative use of form and composition continues to inspire and influence artists around the world.