Cranborne Chase Pictures
Copyright Cranborne Chase Pictures 2005-2008©
Ben Nicholson
Ben Nicholson was born in a converted pub called the Eight Bells in Denham in 1894, and was the oldest son of William Nicholson and Mabel Pryde.
An intensely serious and dedicated painter Ben reacted against his father’s paintings which he considered to ‘well mannered’ and was determined to do something different. He did hid own thing regardless of whether he could sell it or not and indeed they didn’t sell ....
His father had to support him for years and years.
A transition from impoverished painter to successful artist came quite suddenly and quite late (in the early 1950’s). Before that he had only a few dedicated admirers.
His prickly personality rendered his friendships touch and go. He had a particularly difficult relationship with his father William, who once said of Ben ‘ I love Ben but I don’t like him’.
Ben was one of the foremost British artists of the 20th century. He died in 1982.