William Nicholson

Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949) - Framed 1905 Lithograph, Auguste Rodin

1905

William Nicholson was a British painter of still-life, landscape and portraits. He was probably best known through his graphic works, as a book designer and illustrator. Nicholson was greatly encouraged in his landscapes by Whistler from about 1900. In 1902–03, he produced a series of watercolor, chalk and pen drawings of Oxford, which were published in 1905 by the Stafford Gallery as two portfolios of lithographs with descriptions by Arthur Waugh – father of Evelyn Waugh. With Stafford Gallery blindstamps and Nicholson’s signature, these dramatic works of Oxford show Nicholson’s interest in the effects of light and shade on the city’s architecture.