We are pleased to celebrate Rachel’s 90th year with the first part of a major retrospective. The second part will follow in April 2025 in Cornwall (details to come).
Rachel is often referred to as a "late starter," having begun painting at 40. However, she has now spent more of her life as an artist than not, showing unwavering dedication to her work. This can be seen throughout her paintings. Many have been revisited or reworked, sometimes years later, giving them a greater sense of depth and intimacy. Rachel has a natural instinct for knowing when a painting moves from 'in progress' to 'complete.' What may seem like a minor shift to the viewer holds significance to her.
Her still-life paintings often feature the same objects, returned to repeatedly, allowing her to gain a deep familiarity with her subjects. These objects are personally meaningful, many passed down from her father, Ben Nicholson, and in some cases belonging to William Nicholson before that.
At Rachel’s first London exhibition, her father, Ben, arrived unannounced and told the gallery owner, “I had never realised she could paint so well. I would have been happy to have painted that one myself.” As a self taught artist, this meant a great deal to Rachel. With parents of such stature in the art world, and a legacy behind them, it may have felt daunting. Yet, Rachel built a career and a distinctive style that is very much her own.
Still-life objects were the focus of Rachel’s first paintings and have remained central to her work for over 50 years. For this reason, The Viewing Room retrospective will highlight these works. We are grateful to Rachel and her family for lending us some of the cherished objects featured in these paintings. They will be on display throughout the exhibition.
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