Last updated: 26 October 2026
Sir William Nicholson (1872 to 1949) was the British painter and printmaker behind An Alphabet, the Beggarstaff posters and still lifes that now sell for six figures. Here you will find original William Nicholson prints you can still buy, recent auction results, and our 4/5 review of the 2025 to 2026 Pallant House Gallery show.
Our take on William Nicholson
Nicholson started in graphics. From 1894 he made bold posters with his brother-in-law James Pryde as J. & W. Beggarstaff, and in 1897 Heinemann published his woodcut books An Alphabet and An Almanac of Twelve Sports, the second with verses by Kipling. He then designed costumes and scenery for the first Peter Pan in 1904 and illustrated The Velveteen Rabbit in 1922.
I gave the Pallant House Gallery show 4/5. “The still lifes are why most people will come to this show, and they do not disappoint”, and Miss Jekyll’s Gardening Boots (1920) is “an object portrait that tells you more about its subject than any conventional likeness could”. It missed 5/5 because the early graphic-design section “takes a little while to build momentum”.
His paintings now fetch hundreds of thousands at auction, but William Nicholson prints are much easier to own. Period lithographs after his woodcuts sell for a few hundred pounds, and the Pallant House catalogue is £35.
William Nicholson: the essentials
- Born on 5 February 1872 in Newark-on-Trent, according to the William Nicholson Trust, his estate’s charity.
- Trained at Hubert von Herkomer’s school in Bushey, then briefly at the Académie Julian in Paris in 1891.
- Won a gold medal at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, and another in the art competition at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.
- Knighted in 1936. He refused election to the Royal Academy and never exhibited there.
- Died on 16 May 1949 at Blewbury. Tate’s collection includes his work.
William Nicholson exhibitions: recent
- There is no Nicholson exhibition on at the moment.
- William Nicholson, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, 22 November 2025 to 10 May 2026. The gallery called it his first major exhibition in more than 20 years. Read our Pallant House review.
- A Was an Artist, The Grange Gallery, Rottingdean, 19 June to 31 July 2022.
Recent William Nicholson auction results
Market signals
Averages over the last 36 months, in US dollars
Figures from the Artsy price database. Last checked: 26 October 2026.
Few Nicholson paintings reach auction, and recent ones have sold well above their estimates:
- Pink Camellias, 1934, oil on panel, 40.5 x 32.4cm (16 x 12 3/4in). Sold for £422,400 against an estimate of £100,000 to £150,000 at Christie’s London, Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale, 21 October 2026.
- Mushrooms on a Plate, 1929, oil on canvas-board, 33 x 40.6cm (13 x 16in), bought from the artist by the architect Edward Maufe in 1929. Sold for £243,200 against an estimate of £70,000 to £100,000 at Christie’s London, Monsoon: The Peter Simon Collection Day Sale, 15 October 2026.
Prices include buyer’s premium. Last checked: 26 October 2026.
Where to buy William Nicholson prints
Original Nicholson prints still turn up at specialist dealers, but check whether you are buying a period print or a modern reproduction.
- Fishing (May), £350: an original 1898 colour lithograph from the popular edition of An Almanac of Twelve Sports, at Eames Fine Art.
- Lithographs after the woodcuts, £175: mounted and posted free, from Michael Parkin Fine Art.
- Reproductions, £49: the Pallant Bookshop sells giclée reproductions of his Velveteen Rabbit illustrations in editions of 850. These are modern prints, not originals.
- Pallant House catalogue, £35: see our William Nicholson catalogue page.
Our reviews featuring William Nicholson
- William Nicholson at Pallant House Gallery review (Cool Factor 4/5). The still lifes carry the show.
William Nicholson books and catalogues on CoolCuration
William Nicholson FAQs
How much do William Nicholson prints cost?
Period lithographs after his woodcuts cost from £175 to £350 at dealers. Modern giclée reproductions cost £49, and his paintings sell for six figures at auction.
What is William Nicholson best known for?
His woodcut books An Alphabet and An Almanac of Twelve Sports, the Beggarstaff posters made with James Pryde, and his still life paintings.
Where can I see William Nicholson’s work?
Tate’s collection includes his work, although not all of it is on display. The Pallant House Gallery exhibition closed on 10 May 2026.
Who looks after William Nicholson’s estate?
The William Nicholson Trust, a registered charity, which publishes his biography and catalogue information.
More from CoolCuration
- Whistler at Tate Britain review: another painter who moved between art and design.
- Stubbs at the National Gallery review: British painting from a century earlier.
- Projecting British Design: a book on the graphic tradition Nicholson helped start.
- Gifts for bookworms: our edit for people who collect beautiful books.
Think we’re missing something, got something wrong, or want to be featured? Contact us.
Main image: William Nicholson in 1912. Photo: Malcolm Arbuthnot, via the William Nicholson Trust. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates, prices, auction results and market figures last checked: 26 October 2026.
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