1939-44 (painted relief) 1939 - 1944

This is a small version of a relief in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, which is over a metre wide. During the war, Nicholson produced multiple versions of his abstract paintings and reliefs in different sizes. Though this was probably prompted by economic necessity, Nicholson had identified himself with the Constructivists who applied principles of mass production to art practice. The Russian sculptor Naum Gabo, Nicholson's neighbour in Cornwall, made numerous versions of a single idea as a matter of course. Gallery label, August 2004