Nash made four paintings of the village and its environs during Easter 1936, while staying with Margaret at the guesthouse ‘Sea Breeze’ on the edge of the village. A sign bearing the name of the cottage is clearly visible in the background of one of his photographs of a found object, Mineral Kingdom, a hewn piece of black rock possibly taken from the ledges around Kimmeridge.

As ever, Nash was stimulated by the coast around Worth Matravers. He wrote energetically to Eileen Agar of the familiar views and walks: one letter accompanied by a small sketch of the strip lynchets on the fields seen from Worth:

“It is rather exciting here when the sun shines through. The landscape is unique and exciting. We walk always on short turf speckled with speedwells and celandines – a bit like flowers of heaven.” [1]

Nash works relating to Worth Matravers

Paul Nash

Souvenir of Worth

1936

Pencil, chalk and watercolour

H 17.8 × 25.4 cm

Inscribed ‘Souvenir of Worth from Paul late Christmas 1936’

Literature:

Andrew Causey, Paul Nash Catalogue Raisonné (Oxford, 1980) cat. no.884

Penny Denton, ‘Seaside Surrealism’ Paul Nash in Swanage (Durlstone, 2002) cat.no.52

Paul Nash

Study, Worth Matravers

1936

Watercolour

H 38.1 × 55.9 cm

Literature:

Andrew Causey, Paul Nash Catalogue Raisonné (Oxford, 1980) cat. no.885

Penny Denton, ‘Seaside Surrealism’ Paul Nash in Swanage (Durlstone, 2002) cat.no.53

Paul Nash

Worth Matravers

1936

Chalk and watercolour

H 38.1 × 55.9 cm

Foot notes: [1] Paul Nash to Eileen Agar, not dated, but probably Easter 1936. Two watercolour paintings and a study of the same vista were made that year: a chalk and watercolour, Worth Matravers (887), a pencil and watercolour, Worth Matravers (888), and a study in watercolour (885).