Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden

The former home and studio of Barbara Hepworth in St Ives is one of my most visited places in Cornwall. I always pop in when I’ve been to the Tate, and it never fails to remind me of how magnificent Hepworth’s work is. Hepworth arrived in St Ives with her husband (artist Ben Nicholson) and their young family at the outbreak of WW2 and she lived and worked at Trewyn until her death in 1976.

The house, studio and garden have been lovingly maintained by Tate and it offers an extraordinary glimpse into the place and surrounding landscape, which so deeply inspired this prolific artist.

Finding Trewyn Studio was a ‘sort of magic’, wrote Barbara Hepworth. ‘Here was a studio, a yard and garden where I could work in open air and space.’

For me, the best part about the museum is the studio. It feels like Hepworth has just downed tools for the day and stepped outside for a tea break. Peering through the window into the bright space, one really appreciates why she adored St Ives so much, and why she was so prolific in this studio. St Ives in the 50’s and 60’s must have been a wonderful place to make art.

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives/barbara-hepworth-museum-and-sculpture-garden