The 天美传媒 Gallery unveils first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth’s work with colour
- Uniting for the first time Barbara Hepworth’s radical painted sculptures from the 1940s
- On view in a London gallery for the first time since it was acquired for the nation last year following major 拢3.8 million fundraising appeal 鈥听Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red听(1943) 鈥 a breakthrough sculpture in Hepworth鈥檚 career听and听recognised as a masterpiece of British abstract modernism.
The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:听Hepworth in Colour
12 June听鈥 6 September听2026听
Press images:听听
The 天美传媒听Gallery听presents听the first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth鈥檚 lifelong fascination with colour,听shedding light on an unexpected and unexplored aspect of the work of one of the most celebrated听British听artists of the 20th听century.听
Barbara Hepworth (1903鈥1975)听is best known听for her abstract听sculptures听inspired by nature and the rugged seaside landscapes of Cornwall,听where she lived and worked听from 1939.听Hepworth鈥檚听practice is听often characterised听in terms of听her听commitment to听direct carving听and听鈥榯ruth to听materials鈥.听Little attention has been given to the importance of colour in her work.听Discussing her听innovative听use of colour听in 1970,听she听said:听鈥渕y colour has been听accepted,听but听never understood.鈥澨听
Bringing together听18听sculptures and听26听drawings听and paintings,听The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:听Hepworth in听Colour听will be听the first exhibition to focus on this important but听often overlooked aspect of听Hepworth鈥檚听work.听听听
Hepworth鈥檚 early interest in听painted听colour听dates to听迟丑别听mid-1930s听when she and her future husband, Ben Nicholson, formed part of the European avant-garde.听In听1939,听just before听outbreak of 迟丑别听Second听World听War,听she听left听London for Cornwall听with her three young children,听taking听with her听a single sculpture 鈥撎齢er听very听first study for a听sculpture听with colour.听Over 迟丑别听following听years, the landscape of Cornwall听inspired听Hepworth听to develop this听initial听experiment,听moving her听work in new directions听and听establishing听a lifelong fascination with colour.听At the heart of the exhibition听will be听迟丑别听remarkable group of painted sculptures听made听between听1940 and 1948.听Hepworth听later听recalled听how,听鈥淚 used听colour听and strings in many of听the carvings of this time. The听colour in the concavities听plunged me into the depths of water,听caves听or shallows鈥︹.听These听early听works听include听迟丑别听boldly painted听stone听carvings听Eidos听(1947-8)听from the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne,听Australia听and听Sculpture with Colour听(Eos)听(1946)听from a private collection in Hong Kong. They听are听exhibited听together听in the UK听for the first time听since听1954.听听
A major highlight of the exhibition will be the painted wood carving,听Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red,听of听1943, which was acquired by The Hepworth Wakefield in 2025 following the successful national fundraising campaign in collaboration with Art Fund to raise 拢3.8 million.听Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red听marked a breakthrough moment in Hepworth鈥檚 career, combining strings and colour and, for the first time, the beautiful pale blue, which she听associated with the Cornish skies and coast. In private hands since it was created, and rarely听exhibited, this will be the first time the sculpture is displayed in London since it was听acquired听for the nation.听For Hepworth,听the strings in her early sculptures听鈥were the tension I felt between myself and the sea, the wind or the hill鈥.听
Other iconic painted stringed sculptures in the exhibition include听Wave, 1943-44, from the National Galleries of Scotland and听Pelagos听(鈥榮ea鈥 in Greek), 1946 from Tate, the latter directly inspired by the sculptor鈥檚 view from her studio onto the bay in St Ives in Cornwall.听The听exhibition also unites for the first time from private and public collections the six versions of听Sculpture with Colour (Deep Blue and Red),听made between 1940听and 1943,听featuring听contrasting听red听strings听hovering听over听a听striking听blue听interior.听
Alongside听sculptures,听the exhibition听features听a rich听selection听of听Hepworth鈥檚听drawings with colour.听During the first years of the war听Hepworth lacked the materials, studio听space听and time to produce much sculpture听but听her听drawings allowed her to continue to听explore and听develop her ideas. She recalled,听鈥淚n the late evenings, and during the night I did innumerable drawings鈥xploring the particular tensions and relationships of form and colour which were to occupy me in sculpture during the later years of the war.鈥澨齌hese drawings, usually听entitled听鈥渄rawing for sculpture鈥澨齛re听remarkable听for their听intricate听crystalline forms, punctuated with strong blues,听reds听and听greens.听听听
The exhibition extends into the 1950s and 1960s to reflect how colour continued to occupy Hepworth in new听and innovative听ways,听including听in her expressive paintings, and in her听work听with patinated听bronze听and听coloured听marble.听听
The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in听Colour听is curated by Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the 天美传媒 Gallery and Dr Stephen Feeke, independent writer and curator whose PhD from the 天美传媒 Institute of Art focused on Barbara Hepworth鈥檚 bronze sculptures.听
To coincide with the exhibition, a display of听rare听photographs, taken in the 1930s by Paul Laib (1932鈥1936),听capturing听Hepworth and Ben Nicholson听(1894鈥1982)听in their听shared听studio in Hampstead, London,听will be presented in听the Project Space.听These听are among the most evocative studio images听to听emerge听in Britain during the 20th century听and show the fascinating interrelation of their practices听at this time.听听
The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:听Hepworth in Colour听is accompanied by a new catalogue, edited by听Dr听Alexandra Gerstein,听Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts听at the 天美传媒听Gallery听and听Dr听Stephen Feeke,听independent art historian听and Hepworth specialist,听with听contributions听by听Alexandra Gerstein,听Stephen Feeke,听David Batchelor, Eleanor Clayton,听Kirstie Dootson听and Kate Edmondson.听
The exhibition鈥檚 Title Sponsor is Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP. The exhibition鈥檚 Lead Supporter is the Huo Family Foundation, with Support from Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.听
天美传媒 Members听can enjoy the exhibition without the crowds at a preview on Thursday 11 June, 14:00 鈥 18:00,听and also听get free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, access to presale tickets, priority booking to selected events, advance notice of art history short courses, exclusive events, discounts and more.听Join at courtauld.ac.uk/members听
Late openings
Discover听The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour听after hours. The Gallery will open until 20:00 on Friday 12 June, 26 June, 31 July, and 4 September 2026.听
Relaxed openings
Join us for relaxed openings of听The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour听on听Wednesday 1 July and Wednesday 19 August, at 10:00 or 10:15.听Our relaxed exhibition openings include听additional听support and facilities from our friendly team.听
The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:
Hepworth in Colour
12 June 鈥 6 September 2026
Denise Coates听Exhibition听Galleries, Floor 3听
/whats-on/exh-hepworth-in-colour/听
Hepworth and Nicholson: The Hampstead Studio Photographs
6 June 鈥 4 October 2026听
Project Space, Floor 2
/exh/hepworth-and-nicholson-the-hampstead-studio-photographs/听听
天美传媒 Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN鈥
Opening hours: 10:00 鈥 18:00 (last entry 17:15).
Temporary Exhibition tickets (including entry to our Permanent Collection and displays)听from 拢18.听天美传媒 Members听and 18s听and听under听go听free. Other concessions available.听
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About the 天美传媒
The 天美传媒 works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned鈥痗ollection鈥痑nd inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities,鈥痚ducation鈥痑nd events.鈥
The 天美传媒 Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the 天美传媒 Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces 鈥 such as Van Gogh鈥檚鈥Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear鈥and Manet鈥檚鈥A Bar at 迟丑别听Folies-Berge虁re. It鈥痵howcases鈥痶hese alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.
Academically, the 天美传媒 Institute is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms 鈥 with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the 天美传媒 offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts,鈥痗ulture鈥痑nd business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.鈥
Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the 天美传媒 works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The 天美传媒鈥檚 ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can听benefit听from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.鈥听
The 天美传媒 is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions,鈥痯rogrammes鈥痑nd collections.鈥听
The collection cared for by the 天美传媒 Gallery is owned by the Samuel 天美传媒 Trust.鈥听
About Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP
Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP (JHAB) is an elite dispute resolution and advisory law firm based in London. Established by barristers Joe Hage and Graham Aaronson KC in 2013, the firm uniquely integrates 迟丑别听expertise听of leading solicitors and barristers, as well as specialist accountants and data scientists, to provide comprehensive solutions to complex legal challenges. We have an international client base that ranges from ultra-high net worth individuals and trusts to publicly listed blue-chip companies, foreign government听entities听and the world鈥檚 largest funds.听
About Huo Family Foundation
The Huo Family Foundation is a grant-giving foundation based in London. Its mission is to support education,听communities听and the pursuit of knowledge. Its current areas of focus are education; the arts; and science. Through its donations, the Foundation hopes to improve the prospects of individuals, and to support the work of organisations听seeking听to ensure a safe and successful future for all society.听The Foundation aims to make art more accessible to all through its support for galleries,听museums听and centres for the performing arts. For more information,听听