Rachel Nicholson, a distinguished artist who forged her own unique path within a family of artistic giants, has died at the age of 91. Known for her paintings characterised by rich colour, extraordinary focus, and a profound sense of stillness, Nicholson's artistic journey began relatively late in life, when she was in her 40s.
Born in London, Rachel was one of triplets to the celebrated artists Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson. Her childhood, shared with her sister Sarah and brother Simon, was shaped by her parents' intense focus on their careers. This led to periods of care at a training school for nursery nurses and later, after the family's move to Cornwall in 1939, a private school and boarding at Dartington school in Devon from the age of ten.
Prior to dedicating herself to art, Rachel pursued a variety of secretarial and administrative roles. In 1960, she married medical scientist Michael Kidd, and together they had three children: Jeremy, Alison, and Julia. It was in 1975, once her youngest child had settled into school, that Nicholson began to paint. While interviewers often noted this coincided with her mother's passing, Rachel consistently maintained it was a mere coincidence.
Her early works predominantly featured still lifes, often depicting the same glass vessels, mugs, and jugs that her father, and even her grandfather, Sir William Nicholson, had used as motifs. Rachel developed a meticulous and intricate drawing style with her brush, contrasting it against abstract expanses of colour. This approach allowed her to deeply personal and intimately revise the artistic language that had surrounded her throughout her life.
Upon inheriting her father's studio in Hampstead, north London, in 1982, Nicholson chose to work there, a decision that seemed to affirm her individualistic approach to subjects often associated with her family's legacy. From that year onwards, her oeuvre expanded to include landscapes and interior views, frequently inspired by St Ives in Cornwall. These included scenes of Porthmeor Beach from her family apartment and vistas of the town from friends' homes and the Tate St Ives cafe. Notably, her interiors were always devoid of people, imparting an almost uncanny sense of absence.
Despite the pervasive silence in her visual art, music held a central place in Nicholson's life. During an interview for BBC Radio 3's 'Private Passions' in 2015, she spoke of her preference for baroque and 20th-century composers. When asked about her creative environment by art historian Alan Wilkinson, she famously stated, "What I want most is a nice quiet peaceful atmosphere ... and to immerse myself in music." Rachel Nicholson's husband, Michael, passed away in 2012. She is survived by her three children, three grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and her sister, Sarah.