Signed with initials l.r.: BH

Paper collage with watercolour, 31.5 by 45.5 cm

Literature: Geoffrey Rayner et al., Textile Design: Artists' Textiles 1940-1976, Antique Collectors' Club Ltd., 2014, p.93 for an example of the table linen in the grey colour

Porthia Prints, formed in the 1950s by the sculptor Denis Mitchell and his brother, was set up to promote the St Ives art scene commercially and produced a series of table mats that were sold by Heal & Son in London. The present work is Hepworth’s original design for the project and a rare example of her work in collage. Despite an impressive line-up of artists, including Hepworth, Patrick Heron, Peter Lanyon and William Gear, the project eventually suffered from supply issues and folded. The resulting linens are now very rare. The present design provided inspiration for a garden installation at the front of Tate Britain that coincided with the 2015 exhibition Barbara Hepworth: Sculpture for a Modern World, the simplicity and bold lines of this design particularly appealing to its curators.