Ben Nicholson, O.M.

The very rare linoleum cut, 1933,  initialled in pencil, this work is from an unrecorded edition, on thin wove paper

With narrow margins, in generally good condition apart from overall paper discolouration, the sheet has been skilfully backed with a tissue thin sheet of paper, there are a some nicks at edges of the sheet, there is an area of translucent staining at the lower left sheet corner (barely affecting the image area), a 4mm tear at the left sheet edge, a 6mm semi circular line of dark brown staining in the upper margin, framed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present work is an extremely rare surviving example of one of Ben Nicholson’s Profile linocuts printed in the 1933. We are aware of only two other existing impressions (both held in private collections) of this composition. In 1933, when Nicholson had returned to London and begun sharing a studio with Barbara Hepworth, he produced at least three linocuts of the Profile subject. These works were very experimental; they were inked by hand and printed by rubbing his hand or some other device on the back. It is believed that Nicholson used household flooring linoleum for his early linocuts, which explains the uneven printing, and the chip in the image at the lower right corner.  The resulting raw, textural effect was almost certainly desired. The three known impressions of this composition vary greatly, with one being printed in grey ink and repeated four times on the same sheet, reminiscent of his fabric designs from the same period. It is very possible that there was further experimentation and more of these works were printed, but they no longer exist as in the 1960s, it seems that Ben Nicholson sought out to retrospectively remove these works his oeuvre. In a letter to Jim Ede on November 3, 1967 Nicholson wrote ‘I don’t like that linocut ‘profile’ & have destroyed any copies I could find.’ It seems he was quite successful in his endeavour as only three examples of this particular print and a handful of examples of the other Profile subjects are known today.  Despite Nicholson’s best efforts, these prints still exist as an important part the artist’s oeuvre and give us an insight in to his development in to the celebrated artist he has come to be known.