View the St Ives Collection at Phillips Berkly Sq. London to see the works of the Cornwall artist who like the NY School of Abatract artist who shaped the visual langage synboliticall after WW 2. As in teh Abstristinists, the landscape or the Alentic waters, the light , andthe change s
bBritish
PHILLIPS CELEBRATES THE LEGACY OF THE ST IVES SCHOOL WITH SUMMER EXHIBITION ST IVES: THE MODERN COAST Leading Figures of British Modernism Sit Alongside Rare Loans from The Hepworth Wakefield and The Ingram Collection Open to the Public from 9 July to 7 August 
Christopher Wood Drying Sails, Mousehole, Cornwall, 1930 LONDON – 30 JUNE 2026 – Phillips is excited to present St Ives: The Modern Coast. The Artists Who Defined Modernism in Cornwall, a curated selection of works celebrating the enduring legacy of the St Ives School. This summer selling exhibition brings together exceptional paintings, sculptures, works on paper, ceramics and prints by many of the movement’s leading figures, including Dame Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Christopher Wood, Naum Gabo, Bernard Leach and Patrick Heron, among others. St Ives: The Modern Coast will be on view at Phillips’ galleries on Berkeley Square from 9 July until 7 August 2026. The selling exhibition will be accompanied by a rare selection of important loans from The Hepworth Wakefield and The Ingram Collection, offering further insight into one of Britain’s most influential artistic movements. Catherine Bird, Associate Specialist, Private Sales, said, “Bringing the light, landscape and legacy of St Ives to London for Phillips’ Summer Exhibition is a timely opportunity to celebrate one of the most influential chapters in British Modernism. With a resurgence of interest in Modernism and figures such as Barbara Hepworth receiving significant attention, the exhibition feels especially resonant. It speaks to the enduring relevance of these artists’ practices and the evolving interests of today’s collectors. We are grateful to The Hepworth Wakefield and The Ingram Collection for their generous support and loans to the exhibition.” Located on Cornwall’s rugged Atlantic coastline, St Ives became a defining centre of twentieth-century British modernism. Drawn to the town’s extraordinary light, dramatic scenery and proximity to the sea, artists developed a distinctive visual language that united landscape, abstraction and modernist experimentation. Led by Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson, a pioneering community of painters and sculptors transformed the once-remote harbour town into a celebrated artistic hub. Alongside a generation of influential artists, their work established the St Ives School as a vital chapter in the history of modern art. On loan from The Ingram Collection is Hepworth’s Sculpture with Colour and Strings, which reflects the artist’s enduring relationship with the sea and is similar to works currently on view in the Courtauld’s exhibition Hepworth in Colour. 
Barbara Hepworth Sculpture with Colour and Strings, 1939/1961 On loan from The Ingram Collection of Modern British Art | 
Barbara Hepworth Maquette for ‘Winged Figure’, 1957 Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Purchased with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and with the assistance of the National Art Collections Fund. | 
Ben Nicholson 1971 (two squares and very green), 1971 |
| Among the highlights of the selling exhibition is Christopher Wood’s significant painting Drying Sails, Mousehole, Cornwall, 1930, a work that captures the atmosphere, light and maritime character of the Cornish coast. Also featured is Naum Gabo’s ethereal Linear Construction in Space No.1, circa 1950, an iconic sculpture that reflects the profound influence of St Ives’ natural environment on his practice. Created using Perspex and nylon monofilament, a material Gabo developed during his time in St Ives, the work embodies his fascination with organic structures, incorporating the rhythms and forms found in shells and the surrounding landscape. Naum Gabo Linear Construction in Space No.1, circa 1950 Perspex with nylon monofilament |
The exhibition also includes Bernard Leach’s Elephant Jar, highlighting the international exchange of ideas that shaped the artistic identity of St Ives. Having arrived in Cornwall in the 1920s following his time in Japan, Leach brought with him a global perspective that transformed British studio pottery and helped establish St Ives as a centre for artistic innovation. His influential approach continues through Leach Pottery today, which remains a living legacy of his pioneering vision. Bernard Leach Elephant Jar, c. 1965 | 
|
Exhibition viewing: 9 July to 7 August 2026 Location: 30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX Click here for more information: https://exhibitions.phillips.com/collections/school-of-st-ives |
ABOUT PHILLIPSX PhillipsX is a dynamic selling exhibition platform operated by the global Private Sales team at Phillips, the destination for international collectors to buy and sell the world’s most important Modern and Contemporary art, design, and luxury items. Through PhillipsX, Phillips’ influence extends beyond the realm of auction and into the broader global cultural landscape by offering a boundary-less discovery, selling, and buying experience based on the traditional retail gallery model. PhillipsX highlights notable artists and creators of the 20th and 21st centuries, creating new and important dialogues around established and emerging artists, movements, genres, and mediums. Through PhillipsX, the team continues to modernize collecting experiences with imagination, expertise, and relevancy. ABOUT PHILLIPS Phillips: where the world’s curious and bold connect with the art, design, and luxury that inspires them. As a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century works, Phillips offers dedicated expertise in the areas of Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels. Auctions and exhibitions are primarily held in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong, with representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. Phillips offers a regular selection of live and online auctions, along with items available for immediate purchase. Phillips also offers a range of services and advice on all aspects of collecting, including private sales and assistance with appraisals, valuations, and financial planning. Visit phillips.com for further information. kcarder@phillips.com PHILLIPS LONDON – 30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX PHILLIPS NEW YORK – 432 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022 PHILLIPS HONG KONG – G/F, WKCDA Tower, West Kowloon Cultural District, No. 8 Austin Road, West Kowloon | FOLLOW US ON:    
  
WeChat |
