Art Appreciation: Paul Nash: Dreamer of the Modern World

Paul Nash is one of the most imaginative British artists of the early to mid-20th century associated with Surrealism and as Official War Artist. This course explores the cultural and political context and considers how his paintings reflected the period in which he lived, until his death in 1946. Through activities and discussions, we trace Nash’s career from his time at the Slade School of Art in London; and his service on the Western Front as Official War Artist during the First World War, an experience which fundamentally influenced the subjects of his painting. We investigate how the war shaped the development of Nash’s enigmatic landscape style during the 1920s in Britain and France. He and his wife, the writer Margaret Odeh, cultivated interests in East Asian philosophies, aspects of which influenced his Surrealist paintings. Nash was central in the establishment of the British Surrealist movement, as co-organiser of the landmark 1936 International Surrealist Exhibition, that introduced Surrealism to Britain. The late years of Nash’s life were dominated by the Second World War when he produced commissions for the RAF and the Air Ministry. His late paintings are mysterious, reflecting the natural world and inspired by his interest in spirituality.