Letter

Art of the poster label

Commission impossible : In September 1949 Harold Hutchison wrote to John Nash, inviting him to join 'the distinguished list of contributors to London Transport publicity'. The letters that followed document some of the challenges posed by the acclaimed artist's commission.

In February 1950 Nash stayed in the Chilterns to begin his painting. However, his view of the winding road behind Ivinghoe Beacon caused a number of problems. The commission was for a summer scene, and in one letter Nash speaks of his difficulties in 'summerizing' the then wintry landscape. Another notes the compositional challenges of working in the required portrait format.