British artist Ben Nicholson began experimenting with tabletop compositions like this in 1949. The complex and developed picture plane interweaves his early cubism and modernist influences from the 1930s, with his longstanding interest in still life. Foreground and background become obsolete, and the fragmented still-life forms seem to hover. Sotheby’s @tamsin_gy explains. Discover this and more in the Modern British and Irish Art Evening Auction at #SothebysLondon, presented in partnership with

If you thought the painting on your wall was created by Ben Nicholson - one of the greatest British artists of the 20th Century - what do you do? Get Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould round to check it out obviously. The brand new series of Fake or Fortune? starts on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 8pm tonight: https://bbc.in/3dIJgNk | BBC Arts

#OnThisDay 1939: Jack Nicholson was born. In this clip from a film 82’ special he talks about getting started in acting and why it’s possible to be “the nicest man on earth.” | BBC Archive