In the footsteps of Barbara, Ben, Henry, and Ivon... In September 1931, Church Farm in the Norfolk seaside village of Happisburgh hosted Barbara Hepworth and a group of her artist friends: Henry and Irina Moore, Ivon Hitchens and Douglas and Mary Jenkins. Ben Nicholson joined them and during this holiday he and Barbara fell deeply in love. Both were married to other people: Ben to Winifred, who was back home caring for their three children, and Barbara to Jack Skeaping, who joined for two days and left after he realised Barbara’s attentions were elsewhere. ‘We talked and walked, we bathed and played cricket, then we worked and danced’ wrote Barbara. Ben recalled how ‘we all took our clothes off and played cricket and other games on the sand.’ Happisburgh is only 5 miles from my Mum’s home, so I always think of this seminal art holiday, which led to one of the most important relationships in Modern British art - Barbara and Ben moved in together in Hampstead and subsequently to St Ives. Church Farm hasn’t changed much: it’s surrounded by a flint wall, and outbuildings where Barbara and Henry carved iron stones from the beach. It looks across to Happisburgh church (which can be seen in their photo albums in the Tate Archive) and to Happisburgh lighthouse. Years ago I nearly wrote my MA dissertation about this trip, so I’m currently enjoying Caroline Maclean’s book Circles & Squares, which opens with an account of this holiday. (Oh and a note, dear Reader, unlike these free spirits, I kept my clothes on) #bennicholson #barbarahepworth #ivonhitchens #happisburgh #norfolk (at Happisburgh, Norfolk) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPjBDxSFoei/?utm_medium=tumblr
