Pencil, irregular sheet, mounted on prepared board, 38 by 28 cm (15 by 11 ins) (sheet only)

Provenance: the artist’s studio; Winifred Nicholson and thence by descent; with Caroline Wiseman

A sailing trip that Nicholson took in the Aegean Sea in May 1967 resulted in a series of drawings and a suite of etchings Greek and Turkish Forms all of which were inspired by that part of the world. In common with other work from the mid-1960s, the prints in this set (to which the present drawing probably relates) examined Graeco-Roman architectural styles and motifs, with Nicholson lending his own abstract interpretation to them. The etching set were jointly published by Ganymed Original Editions Ltd and Marlborough Fine Art Ltd and Nicholson himself donated a set to the Tate in 1968 (acc.2009).

It has been suggested that this drawing may depict the temple of Aphaia in Aegina which Nicholson visited in his trip to the area.