by Patricia Reed (Yale Books)
Admired yet elusive, British artist William Nicholson’s (1872-1949) stream of landscapes, still lifes and portraits doesn’t fit easily into commentaries of 20th century art.
Although critics have always agreed many of his paintings are beautiful, his reputation has been overshadowed by that of his contemporary modernists; he isn’t even mentioned in some art surveys of the time.
It could also be that, as the father of Ben Nicholson, one of Britain’s first abstract artists, he has been cast as the kind of artist his son would have to react against – a conservative painter unaware of the art being produced on the continent.
Patricia Reed’s sumptuous catalogue, the result of 20 years’ research, does more than set the record straight.
Gaining initial renown for his bold woodcuts – his image of Queen Victoria walking her dog remains his most famous – Nicholson produced nearly 900 oils between 1900 and the 1940s. The catalogue includes detailed entries on all these as well as a comprehensive chronology of Nicholson’s life and career.
Nicholson was happiest painting friends, colleagues and acquaintances, including Rudyard Kipling and Jan Smuts.
His still lifes and landscapes are full of tricks and illusions.
Reflections and shadows play games with the viewer’s perception of depth, dimension and space.
Reed’s catalogue is a magnificent tribute to this brilliant painter; a celebration of his skill, subtlety and individuality. – Philip Weideman