Composition

The simplicity and geometry of "Composition" reflects the influence of early abstract artists Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Naum Gabo. John Wells worked as a doctor before moving in 1945 to Newlyn in Cornwall, where he devoted himself to painting and became heavily involved in the artistic community centred on St Ives in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Wells' earlier paintings were more concerned with surface texture and the representation of natural forms than his more hard-edged works of the 1960s and '70s. His intention in works like "Composition" was to reach a balance of line, colour and form, while maintaining a grounding in landscape and nature.

Places

Subjects

rectangle, square, abstract

Materials & Techniques

canvas, oil, oil painting

Artist

John Wells (1907 - 2000)

Title

Composition

Date

1968-1976

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

height: 50.50 cm, width: 76.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Christie's, 12 June 1998

Inscription

verso, tl: 68/18 ; verso, br: ANCHOR STUDIO/TREWARVENETH STREET/NEWLYN/CORNWALL ; verso, tcr: John Wells. 1968-76

Provenance

With Agnew’s Gallery, London; sold through Christie's, London, on 12 June 1998 (Lot 122)

GAC number

17325