This striking work Figure, 1950 was painted during a short spell (1949-1951) when Wells was an assistant to Barbara Hepworth. The sculpture, Cosdon Head which he worked on with Hepworth was an inspiration to Wells in the making of this painting.

“He has also always stressed the sense of professionalism that this experience instilled in him, as well as the impact on his work of Hepworth’s clarity and prevision of line. However, it may also have affected his output in different, more subtle ways. Both he and Lanyon produced a number of works that allude to figures hidden within the landscape and it is possible that Wells saw himself hidden in this way – hidden and waiting to emerge. Certainly his work displays a renewed confidence at this time.”

Matthew Rowe, John Wells: The Fragile Cell, Tate Gallery Publishing, 1998