‘Flight of the Magnolia’ Print by Paul Nash

Towards the end of his life, Paul Nash produced a series of paintings featuring what he called ‘aerial flowers’ that reflected both his fascination with flying and his deep interest in the natural world. This picture began with a sketch he made in 1943 of a magnolia flower given to him by a friend. In keeping with the artist’s belief in the life-force of objects, he later said he “felt quite certain it had a more important destiny”.