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Lot description
Paul Nash (British, 1889-1946) Idea for the Set of Ibsen’s Ghosts watercolour and pencil Executed circa 1922 Unframed: 22.5 x 24.5 cm. (8 5/8 x 9 5/8 in.) Framed: 30.4 x 33.7 cm. (12 x 13 1/4 in.) Provenance: With Piccadilly Gallery, London The Rt. Hon the Lord Clwyd, London Sale; Bonhams, London, 19 March 2019, lot 14, where purchased the present owner Literature: Gordan Bottomley, Theatre Arts Monthly, 'The Theatre Work of Paul Nash', January 1924, USA, pp.38-44. Notes: Executed circa 1922, Idea for the Set of Ibsen’s Ghosts is a rare and captivating watercolour that offers a unique glimpse into the brilliant mind of Paul Nash, one of Britain’s most celebrated Modernist visionaries. While Nash is globally renowned for his haunting landscapes and poignant war art, this exceptional piece highlights a brief, highly sought-after period where he brought his genius to avant-garde theatrical design. Here, Nash boldly strips away the traditional Victorian clutter of Ibsen’s suffocating tragedy, replacing it with a cavernous, modernist dreamscape where heavy, shadowing archways brilliantly encapsulate the psychological weight of the narrative. The spectral figures and his masterful handling of atmospheric light, culminating in the tragic, luminous dawn at the rear of the stage, demonstrate his unparalleled ability to translate profound emotional tension into striking spatial geometry. Prominently documented in Gordon Bottomley’s 1924 review in Theatre Arts Monthly, this visually arresting work is not merely a set design, but a masterclass in psychological symbolism.