Prince and Princess

From the early 1930s Nicholson experimented with a non-realistic approach to painting. He began making abstract art. In this picture, objects such as a playing card are just recognisable, but he has also included random shapes. The heads are portraits of Nicholson and his future wife, the sculptor Barbara Hepworth. He has chosen to paint on a scrap piece of wood. This unusual material adds to the experimental nature of the work.