Kettle's Yard

Kettle’s Yard, part of the University of Cambridge, is a leading modern and contemporary art gallery, and a unique house with a remarkable collection of 20th-century art. From 1957 – 1973 Kettle’s Yard was the home of Jim and Helen Ede. Preserved virtually unchanged since their departure, today the house displays the Edes’ diverse collection of art, ceramics, textiles, furniture and natural objects.

Jim Ede often described himself as a ‘friend of artists’ and much of the Kettle’s Yard collection was acquired through those friendships. During the 1920s, when working at the Tate gallery in London, Jim Ede became close friends with artists including Ben and Winifred Nicholson, Christopher Wood and David Jones. Trips on official gallery business to Paris led to meetings with some of the key figures of the artistic avant-garde, including Constantin Brâncuși, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso. In 1927 Jim purchased a substantial body of works by the French sculptor, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, who had been killed in World War I. Soon after, Ben Nicholson and Christoper Wood introduced Jim to the work of St Ives fisherman-turned-painter Alfred Wallis.

In 1954 Jim Ede envisaged creating “a living place where works of art could be enjoyed… where young people could be at home unhampered by the greater austerity of the museum or public art gallery”. Kettle’s Yard is a manifestation of the Edes shared belief in art’s ability to transform lives. Their vision is upheld throughout the house and gallery, with critically acclaimed exhibitions, pioneering community and learning programmes, and research of the highest quality.

DACS Images is thrilled to partner with Kettle’s Yard to license a selection of their images on their behalf.