1933 (St Rémy - self-portrait with Barbara Hepworth)
- Artist: Ben Nicholson
- Date: 1933
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 10 3/4 in. x 6 5/8 in. (273 mm x 168 mm)
- Portrays: Dame Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
In this oil‑on‑canvas portrait—“1933 (St Rémy – self‑portrait with Barbara Hepworth)”—Ben Nicholson places his own profile and that of his partner, the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, on top of each other. The double figure looks almost like a pair of cut‑outs, their heads superimposed so you can see both faces in one view.
Behind them are rolling hills of Provence, olive groves, and the ancient arch that marks St Rémy’s hilltop. It feels almost cave‑like, as if painted from inside Lascaux, with mountains faintly visible beyond the trees.
The work came from their 1933 trip to that French town. A few months later the pair married, and Nicholson would go on to create his first abstract reliefs, a turning point in his career. The portrait captures both love and artistic evolution.
See it in person
1933 (St Rémy - self-portrait with Barbara Hepworth) is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
