Online Guide

Ben Nicholson walking tour of St Ives

Experience St Ives from the artist’s perspective, and uncover the town’s heritage as an artists’ colony

Ben Nicholson (1894–1982) was one of the most radical British artists of the twentieth century and has long been recognised as a leading exponent of the modern movement in Britain. Although best known for his abstract paintings and reliefs from the 1930s, Nicholson began his career as a figurative painter and developed a deep and enduring relationship with the English landscape.

St Ives was a seminal influence on Nicholson’s art, and his home for 19 years. He and his wife, Barbara Hepworth, became key figures in the development of the artists’ colony in the town.

This multimedia walking tour takes you through St Ives, connecting places and spaces in and around the town to Nicholson, his work and his life. It features an audio commentary alongside visual material including archival photographs, letters and artworks by Nicholson and his contemporaries in St Ives.