%20Pale%20Blue%20and%20Red,%201943%20%C2%A9%20Bowness,%20Image%20%C2%A9%20The%20Hepworth%20Wakefield.%20Photo_%20Mark%20Heathcote.png)
This exhibition is a thoughtful examination of an aspect of Barbara Hepworth's work that has long been under-appreciated. Bringing together twenty of Hepworth's abstract sculptures and thirty drawings, it focuses on her innovative use of colour to transform the internal spaces of her sculptures into expressive elements in their own right. As war broke out, Hepworth moved with her husband, Ben Nicholson, to Cornwall. With her preferred materials in short supply, she increasingly turned to plaster, using paint to animate and define the interior surfaces of her sculptures. Richly coloured interiors are often accentuated by strings of contrasting shades, creating a dynamic interplay between surface, space and line. Thirteen of the sixteen painted sculptures Hepworth created during the 1940s are displayed here, although the exhibition also extends into works produced during the 1950s and 1960s. The two-gallery presentation on Floor 3 is complemented by photographs of Hepworth and Nicholson's studio on the second floor, providing valuable insight into the environment in which these innovative works were conceived. Perhaps the most iconic piece in the first gallery is Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red (1943). This is the first time the work has been displayed in London since its acquisition in 2025 following a national fundraising appeal. The sculpture exemplifies Hepworth's fascination with the relationship between exterior form and interior space. The blue cavity, punctuated by red strings, creates a sense of depth and complexity that transforms the hollow centre into an active and expressive element. Rather than merely highlighting a void, colour gives the internal space a palpable presence, encouraging the viewer to look beyond the smooth exterior and into the sculpture's hidden depths. In the second gallery, several works demonstrate the variety of ways in which Hepworth employed colour to explore inner space. Eidos (1947-48) and Sculpture with Colour (Eos) (1946) reveal her sensitivity to colour as an integral component of sculptural form rather than mere decoration. In both works, painted interiors draw the eye inward, creating a tension between the solidity of the outer form and the suggestive spaces contained within. This concern is further developed in the exquisite Curved Stone with Yellow (1946), where colour boldly activates the sculpture's internal recesses. The relationship between landscape and interior space is explored in Tides II (1946), Pelagos (1946) and the later Sea Form (Porthmeor) (1956). In Tides II, Hepworth returns to wood as a medium, using flowing contours to evoke the rhythms of the Cornish coastline. Pelagos, often regarded as one of Hepworth's masterpieces, combines sweeping curves with a spiralling pale-blue interior whose colour intensifies the sense of movement and depth. Sea Form (Porthmeor) continues this exploration, suggesting shells, rocks and tidal pools while demonstrating how colour and form work together to animate enclosed space. What emerges most clearly from the exhibition is Hepworth's remarkable ability to make interior space itself a sculptural material. The painted surfaces and coloured strings are not ancillary details but essential components that direct the viewer's gaze inward and transform voids into sites of visual and emotional resonance. By concentrating on these rarely seen painted sculptures, the exhibition offers a fresh perspective on one of Britain's most important twentieth-century artists, revealing how colour became a crucial means through which Hepworth explored the relationship between form, space and perception. Overall, this is a rewarding and illuminating exhibition that deepens our understanding of Hepworth's enduring contribution to modern sculpture.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Image: Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975), Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red, 1943. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield), Barbara Hepworth © Bowness, Image © The Hepworth Wakefield. Photo: Mark Heathcote
When, Where, Getting there:
%20Pale%20Blue%20and%20Red,%201943%20%C2%A9%20Bowness,%20Image%20%C2%A9%20The%20Hepworth%20Wakefield.%20Photo_%20Mark%20Heathcote.png)
%20Brinkhoff-Moegenburg%201136-1457.JPG)
%20Cat%20White%20(Ruby),%20Martins%20Imhangbe%20(Diamond),%20Roger%20Ringrose%20(Mansion)%20&%20Ziggy%20Heath%20(Tom)%20-%20Driftwood%20(c)%20Marc%20Brenner%20426500.jpg)
