In the summer of 1954, Barbara Hepworth travelled to Greece for the first and only time. Aged 51, she reflected that she had waited 30 years to see the country, whose ancient sculpture, architecture and landscape had long captured her imagination. The journey came at a turning point in her life, following a period of personal loss and intense creative work. It would also help shape the years that followed. 

Our upcoming exhibition, Barbara Hepworth and Greece, explores this remarkable journey and its lasting influence on one of Britain’s most important sculptors. But what took Hepworth to Greece in the first place, and why does this trip still matter to our understanding of her work? 

A journey at a turning point 

Hepworth’s trip came just two months after the close of her major retrospective at London’s Whitechapel Art Gallery. Bringing together around 75 carvings and 125 drawings, the exhibition marked an important moment in her career. 

Yet behind this professional success, Hepworth was living through a painful period. Her marriage to fellow artist Ben Nicholson had broken down, and in February 1953, her eldest son, Paul Skeaping, was killed in a plane crash while serving with the RAF in Thailand. He was just 23. 

Hepworth threw herself into work in the aftermath of his death. Among the sculptures she made for the Whitechapel exhibition was Monolith (Empyrean) (1953), a memorial to Paul and his fellow airman John Williamson. Its title refers to the highest heaven, a realm of light and fire, reflecting Hepworth’s interest in the relationship between sculpture, nature and the spiritual world. 

It was her close friend Margaret Gardiner who offered an opportunity to step away from the intensity of work and grief. Gardiner invited Hepworth to join a cruise around the Aegean, with stops on the Greek mainland and islands, and the invitation came at just the right time. 

Why Greece mattered to Hepworth 

Greece was not a new interest for Hepworth. She later wrote that she had waited 30 years to visit, reflecting how deeply the country had captured her imagination long before she set foot there. 

Ancient Greek sculpture offered a way of thinking about form, space and the human figure, while the landscape provided another source of inspiration. For Hepworth, these were closely connected. 

Her visit took her to ancient sites and islands, including places whose names would later appear in the titles of her work. She recorded her impressions in writing and sketches, including what became known as her Greek Diary, published in 1965. 

Greece in 1954 was also very different from the destination we know today. Still recovering from occupation during the Second World War and a subsequent civil war, the country had limited infrastructure and relatively little tourism. Hepworth’s surviving notes focus mainly on the sites, antiquities and landscapes she encountered, offering a glimpse of what captured her attention during the journey. 

How did Greece influence Hepworth’s art? 

Hepworth’s sculpture was abstract, so the influence of Greece is not always immediately obvious. Rather than directly depicting the places she visited, she absorbed their forms, spaces and atmosphere into her own artistic language. 

The years after her trip were a period of experimentation. She explored new approaches to wood carving, began working with metal in 1956 and developed increasingly expressive drawings. Her interest in printmaking would also lead to vibrant work in the 1970s. 

The connection between art and place remained central throughout her career. Greece became part of a wider exploration of how landscape, light and the natural world could inform sculpture, without losing the distinctive qualities of her abstract forms. 

Discover Barbara Hepworth and Greece at Pallant House Gallery 

Our exhibition explores the relationship between Hepworth’s journey and her art, bringing together the places, ideas and experiences that shaped her response to Greece. It also offers an opportunity to look more closely at a period of her life when personal loss, critical acclaim and artistic discovery came together. 

Barbara Hepworth and Greece invites visitors to discover a new perspective on an artist whose work continues to shape how we think about modern sculpture. 

Visit Pallant House Gallery from 21 November 2026 to 2 May 2027 to explore Barbara Hepworth and Greece.