This volume provides a documentary account of William Nicholson's life and work. It uses contemporary records, articles and reminiscences, and the numerous letters William wrote to his family and friends. The text considers what Nicholson painted, why and for whom; what spurred him on to experimention and artistic adventure; how he fared in times of elation and anguish; how he combined the serious playfulness of his vision with a deep affection for nature; and how he collaborated with some of the leading men of his day, among them Rudyard Kipling, J.M. Barrie, William Orpen, Edwin Lutyens, Robert Graves (his son-in-law), and Winston Churchill. The aim is to do justice to the diversity of William Nicholson's work, and provide a detailed portrait of the man and the artist.

"This is the story of a painter's life. To make phrases about William Nicholson's work is to insult and offend him ... The history of a painter's life is the history of his work and of the conditions under which he does his work; after that let the work speak for itself"--Page 9.

Bron is a thirty-year-old writer living in London, a seemingly incurable heartbreaker and dodger of commitment. He is fascinated by the symbolist artist Paul Marotte and has made the artist the center of a book he is writing about love at first sight. Bron goes to his friend’s country house to work in solitude but encounters the beautiful, enigmatic Flora. Suddenly the theme of his book takes on a completely new, intensely personal dimension as Bron becomes dangerously smitten by the aloof beauty. Fast-paced, brilliantly crafted, and intellectually stimulating, The Trial of True Love is a captivating exploration of the nature of love, its elusiveness, and most of all, the universal human need to find it.

An intimate look at Ben Nicholson's everyday inspirations

Cool, clear-eyed, and bluntly cynical, the young narrator of The Society of Others embarks on a journey without a destination. He hitchhikes through Europe only to find himself in a mystifying country where terrorists are inexplicably after him, and so is a sinister government. In a surreal landscape where people are shot to death without reason and social control runs deep, he must learn who to trust–and what to stand for. Fast paced and provocative, a gripping philosophical thriller, The Society of Others is an ingenious meditation on the nature of contemporary innocence and identity.

This book examines the artistic partnership of Ben Nicholson and Winifred Nicholson in the 1920s and their friendship and collaboration with Christopher Wood, Alfred Wallis, and the potter William Staite Murray. Inspired by each other, the Nicholsons experimented furiously and often painted the same subject, one as a colorist the other more interested in form. Winifred wrote of her time with Ben, 'All artists are unique and can only unite as complementaries not as similarities'. New research based on previously unpublished letters, photographs and other material draws out their fascinating connections. All the works, many of which are previously unpublished, are illustrated in full color, each with comments relating to the work by the artists and their critics.

A beautiful brand new hardback edition of one of the greatest children's books of all time, from the renowned artist William Nicholson, illustrator of The Velveteen Rabbit. The perfect balance of words and pictures, this charming story of a busy day and a forgotten toy paved the way for the modern picture book and still manages to capture the heart with its winning simplicity and uniquely gripping story."A brilliant piece . . . never fails to grip three- and four-year-olds." Shirley Hughes"Among the few perfect picture books ever created . . . I would not hesitate to give this to any child I knew." Maurice Sendak

Throughout his life, Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) was a prolific and creative writer. Correspondent to many, his unpublished letters, selected and extracted here for the first time (along with published writings), reveal fascinating insight into significant events and encounters at various stages of the artist's career, while also demonstrating how Nicholson's aesthetic was interwoven into every aspect of his daily life. Including previously unpublished correspondence to both Winifred Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth, these letters are complemented by those sent to some of the artist's closest friends and trusted supporters, among them Herbert Read, Adrian Stokes, Jim Ede and Margaret Gardiner. Throughout, Nicholson's lively intellect and total commitment to art are clearly evident, as is his association and friendship with some of the key figures of international Modernism, including Mondrian, Henry Moore, and Picasso. Featuring reproductions of key works and selected letters, Ben Nicholson: Writings and Ideas is an invaluable resource to all those interested in the work of this key British artist and the period in which he worked.

The acclaimed biography detailing the lives of the British inter-war artists and designers centred on Ravilious - an enthralling narrative of creative achievement, joy and tragedy. In recent years Eric Ravilious has become recognized as one of the most important British artists of the 20th century, whose watercolours and wood engravings capture an essential sense of place and the spirit of mid-century England. What is less appreciated is that he did not work in isolation, but within a much wider network of artists, friends and lovers influenced by Paul Nash's teaching at the Royal College of Art - Edward Bawden, Barnett Freedman, Enid Marx, Tirzah Garwood, Percy Horton, Peggy Angus and Helen Binyon among them. The Ravilious group bridged the gap between fine art and design, and the gentle, locally rooted but spritely character of their work came to be seen as the epitome of contemporary British values. Eighty years after Ravilious's untimely death, Andy Friend tells the story of this group of artists from their student days through to the Second World War. Ravilious & Co. explores how they influenced each other and how a shared experience animated their work, revealing the significance in this pattern of friendship of women artists, whose place within the history of British art has often been neglected. Generously illustrated and drawing on extensive research, and a wealth of newly discovered material, Ravilious & Co. is an enthralling narrative of creative achievement, joy and tragedy.

Discovering painting at the age of 40, Sir Winston Churchill revelled in his new pastime. He went on to produce over 550 paintings, with over 130 of them on the French Riviera. The fellow artist and Riviera resident Paul Rafferty has tracked down many of the locations Churchill used in Provence, an area the great man so aptly called 'paintatious'. Many of these locations are newly discovered and his 'fearless impressions' stand alongside to illustrate how Churchill captured them on canvas.