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Among our highlights is John Piper’s Forms on white ground, 1935. This painting pulsates with Piper’s excitement at his discovery of Abstraction. Visiting Paris in 1934, the artist became fired by the work of Piet Mondrian. Piper was also inspired by his friend Ben Nicholson’s shallow carved Abstract reliefs, literally the cutting edge of the avant garde. Forms on white ground is executed in oil and ripolin on canvas laid down on board. Parts of the canvas have been cut away with a razor and the gaps coloured, enhancing the impression of a relief.

The restrained beauty of William Scott’s …