In April 1927, Ben and Winifred Nicholson, along with Christopher Wood, held an exhibition at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London, marking a significant moment in the evolution of modern British art. Located at 1 Bruton Place in Mayfair, near Berkeley Square, the gallery was known for its progressive approach and support of emerging modernist artists. Founded by Frederick and Helen Lessore in 1923, it became a key venue for showcasing avant-garde British talent and played an essential role in the development of 20th-century art in the UK.

The 1927 exhibition highlighted the trio’s shared vision—one that blended Post-Impressionism, abstraction, and a deep appreciation for color and form. Ben Nicholson, born in Buckinghamshire in 1894, was the son of painters William Nicholson and Mabel Pryde. After studying at the Slade School of Fine Art, his early work was influenced by Post-Impressionism, later evolving through exposure to Cubism during a 1921 visit to Paris. Artists like Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso greatly impacted his style. In 1928, he encountered the work of Alfred Wallis, a self-taught Cornish artist whose naive approach and textured surfaces left a lasting impression on Nicholson’s abstract compositions.

Winifred Nicholson, born Rosa Winifred Roberts in 1893, studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London. She often painted vibrant still lifes and landscapes, celebrating natural light and the beauty of everyday objects. Her style emphasized color and emotion over precision, echoing the influence of her grandfather, George Howard—an amateur painter connected with the Pre-Raphaelites. She and Ben married in 1920 and frequently collaborated, shaping each other’s artistic evolution.

Christopher Wood, born in 1901 in Knowsley, Lancashire, began his artistic journey studying architecture before turning to painting. In 1921, he moved to Paris and studied at the Académie Julian, where he immersed himself in the avant-garde scene. He formed connections with influential artists like Picasso and Diaghilev, and his style was heavily influenced by French Post-Impressionism and the naive art of Henri Rousseau. In 1928, like the Nicholsons, Wood discovered the work of Alfred Wallis, whose raw, direct painting style inspired Wood’s own distinctive visual language—lyrical, bold, and emotionally charged.

This exhibition at the Beaux Arts Gallery was pivotal in shaping what would become the St Ives School, an artistic movement that later defined British modernism. The synergy between these artists encouraged a shift away from traditional realism toward expressive, abstract forms that captured the spirit of a changing world.

Today, the influence of Ben and Winifred Nicholson and Christopher Wood lives on. Their works are displayed in major galleries, and their legacy continues to inspire artists across Britain and beyond, anchoring them as foundational figures in the story of modern art.