Bell made this remarkable painting in 1914. It was a moment of sharp radicalisation in British avant-garde circles suddenly familiar with Cubism, Futurism and, in the summer before the outbreak of the First World War, the founding of Vorticism with its emphasis on abstraction. Although abstract composition was rare in her output, this demonstrates Bell’s participation in these developments. Her daring command of colour harmonies and simple structures reflect the theory of ‘Significant Form’ promoted by her husband Clive Bell.
