In the early years of 1880 artists like Henry Harwood Robinson, Dorothy Webb, and William Eadie began spending their time in St Ives during the cold winter months. Eventually they all settled in town being among the first artists to contribute to the creative atmosphere that still thrives today.
The St Ives School
After World War II, St Ives became Britain's capital for modern and abstract art. Artists such as Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, and the Russian constructivist Naum Gabo settled in the town, forming an artistic community known as the "St Ives School”. This group, including Peter Lanyon, John Wells, Roger Hilton, and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, developed a style combining abstraction with inspiration from the surrounding landscape.
The St Ives School was not a formal institution but an informal gathering of artists who shared ideas and inspiration. Their work challenged traditional norms and contributed significantly to British modernism.
One of the first renowned artists to settle down in St Ives was James McNeill Whistler, who arrived in 1884 © Wikimedia Commons
Today, St Ives continues to be a vibrant art town. Tate St Ives, opened in 1993, is one of the town’s main institutions, showcasing both contemporary works and those of the St Ives School. The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, located in her former studio, offers insight into her life and work. Leach Pottery, founded by Bernard Leach and Shōji Hamada in 1920, remains active, preserving the tradition of British and Japanese ceramics. Together, these institutions reflect the town’s enduring artistic spirit and legacy, a legacy perhaps most clearly embodied in the life and work of Barbara Hepworth.
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Ceramics Made at the Leach Pottery, St Ives.
Barbara Hepworth and the Artistic Spirit of St Ives
When Barbara Hepworth arrived in St Ives in 1939, seeking refuge from war-torn London, she could hardly have imagined how deeply the Cornish town would shape her life and work. Alongside her husband, painter Ben Nicholson, Hepworth found herself part of a growing community of modern artists who drew inspiration from the dramatic coastline and shifting Atlantic light. For Hepworth, the rugged cliffs, sweeping beaches, and sense of timeless connection to nature resonated profoundly with her sculptural vision. St Ives provided her not only with inspiration but also with the space to establish her permanent studio and garden at Trewyn in 1949, a sanctuary where art and environment intertwined.
Barbara Hepworth in 1970 © Geoff Charles , National Library of Wales © Wikimedia Commons
Today, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, maintained by Tate, preserves this unique site. Visitors can walk among her sculptures in the very garden where she placed them, feeling the same interplay between art and nature that Hepworth believed essential. Her presence helped cement St Ives as one of Britain’s most important centres for modern art, ensuring that the town’s reputation rests not only on its natural beauty but also on its enduring cultural legacy.
Figure for landscape, a bronze sulpture created by Barbara Hepworth between 1959 and 1960 in her studio in St. Ives, Cornwall.
From Tradition to Innovation
Barbara Hepworth was joined by many artists during her 35 years in St Ives. Among her early companions were her husband, the painter Ben Nicholson, the Russian sculptor Naum Gabo, and the Welsh painter and printmaker Ceri Richards, known for his lyrical, music-inspired works. Swedish artist Anders Zorn also spent the winter of 1887–1888 in St Ives, producing works such as "On the Beach, St Ives" and "Fish Market in St Ives", which reflected the town’s coastal landscapes and everyday life.
"Fishmarket in St Ives" by Anders Zorn.
During the 1950s and 1960s, a new generation of artists came to St Ives, including Terry Frost, abstract painter, Bryan Wynter, landscape-inspired abstractionist and Sandra Blow, expressive abstract painter. They created vibrant and experimental abstract works inspired by the coastal landscape and light, continuing St Ives’ tradition as an art colony.
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St Ives, Terry Frost, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Naum Gabo, Anders Zorn, Peter Lanyon, Patrick Heron, Roger Hilton, Alfred Wallis, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Stanhope Forbes, Leach Pottery, Shōji Hamada
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