1930 (christmas night)

Jim Ede and Ben Nicholson met in 1924. Nicholson was still a struggling young painter and Ede’s support was crucial to allow him to pursue a career in the arts.

This painting was made at a time when Nicholson’s relationship with his first wife Winifred was coming to an end, and shortly after the death of his close friend Christopher Wood. The tension between light and dark, interior and exterior that animates the painting reflects Nicholson’s own personal turmoil. The overall mood is sombre. The reflection of the empty cot in the mirror and the presence of brushes with just the artist’s initials hint at his solitude.