The stack, Hoar's FieldsW Beggarstaff · 1927

Identification of The stack, Hoar's Fields

The stack, Hoar's Fields is a painting by Sir William Nicholson. Executed in 1927, the work reflects the artist's established approach to form and composition during the interwar period.

Nicholson, born in Newark-on-Trent, United Kingdom, developed a distinctive visual language characterized by a mastery of line and a focus on essential shapes. This specific piece belongs to a period of his career where he moved between graphic design, wood engraving, and oil painting, often emphasizing the structural qualities of his subjects.

Physical Details and Materials Used

Executed in oil on Academy board, this work measures 33.2 x 40.8 cm. In imperial measurements, the board dimensions are recorded as 13 x 16 inches (33 x 40.5 cm). The piece is housed within a frame measuring 58.6 x 67.1 x 6.5 cm.

The artist's signature and date appear on the lower left in brown oil, reading "Nicholson".

History and Provenance of the Object

The work was part of a retrospective exhibition held at the City of Nottingham Art Museum and Art Gallery in England, running from 11 March to 20 April 1933. Following this exhibition, the piece entered the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It was officially purchased in 1947 and is currently held under accession number 8044. The painting is not on display.

Historical records indicate the piece has been documented in several significant publications and catalogues. These include:

• Lillian Browse, William Nicholson, London, 1956
• Renée Free, Art Gallery of New South Wales catalogue of British paintings, Sydney, 1987
• Anne Kirker and Peter Tomory, British painting 1800–1990 in Australian and New Zealand public collections, Sydney, 1997
• Andrew Nicholson, William Nicholson-Painter, London, 1996

Documented Interpretations and Alternative Titles

The nomenclature of this work varies across several historical records and exhibition catalogues. It is identified in some collections as The Stack, Hall's Fields. This specific phrasing appears in documentation from the Art Gallery of New South Wales and in certain twentieth-century monographs. Variations of the title also link the composition to specific locations, such as Hoar’s Fields, Warminster, a designation used during an exhibition in early 1941.

Other scholarly and commercial records provide further geographic specificity. The work is catalogued as Hoare’s Fields, Warminster Downs in the catalogue raisonné of the artist's oil paintings. This version of the title is also reflected in various provenance records and commercial listings. The distinction between these titles often depends on the specific regional focus or the archival standards of the period in which the work was documented.