'Landscape' by Rhoda Holmes Nicholls, New York, Boston Art Club, London, American Watercolor Society, National Academy of Design, Benezit

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Signed lower right, 'Rhoda Holmes Nicholls' (British-American, 1854-1948) with dedication 'To my dear friend Marietta M. Andrenes'.
Framed dimensions: 16.75 … Read more Signed lower right, 'Rhoda Holmes Nicholls' (British-American, 1854-1948) with dedication 'To my dear friend Marietta M. Andrenes'.
Framed dimensions: 16.75 H x 1.25 D x 10.5 W inches.

Born in Coventry, Rhoda Holmes Nicholls received her early artistic training at London's Bloomsbury School of Art where she studied under Edward John Gregory. She furthered her education at the Royal Female School of Art and, in Rome, with Michele Cammarano and Achille Vertunni. In 1884, immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City.

Nicholls established her presence within the East Coast art community, becoming known for her accomplished watercolor technique which is characterized by refined and intuitive brushwork combined with careful attention to light and atmosphere. She became an active member of several prominent art organizations including the New York Art Students League, the New York Watercolor Club, National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors and, from 1885, the American Watercolor Society. In 1896, she was elected to full membership, becoming one of the earliest women artists to be granted this distinction.

Nicholls exhibited widely and with success, including at the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Pan-American Exposition (bronze medal, Buffalo, 1901), Columbian Exposition (medal, Chicago, 1893), the St. Louis Exposition (bronze medal, 1904) and the Boston Art Club. Throughout her career, her work was well-received by both critics and public and it continues to be sought after by collectors who recognize the artist's unique contribution to the high watermark of American watercolor art. Over the course of a long and distinguished career, she was the recipient of numerous prizes, medals and juried awards. Rhoda Holmes Nicholls is well-listed in all relevant art-reference works, including Benezit and Who Was Who in American Art.

Reference:
E. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs, Jacques Busse, 1999 Nouvelle Édition, Gründ 1911, Vol. 10, page 193; Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America, Peter Hastings Falk, Sound View Press 1999, Vol. 2, page 2418; Mantle Fielding’s Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors and Engravers, Glen B. Opitz, Apollo Press 1983, page 682; Women Artists in America: Eighteenth Century to the Present, Jim Collins, Second Printing, 1973; Mallett’s Index of Artists, Daniel Trowbridge Mallett, Peter Smith: New York 1948 Edition, R.R. Bowker Company 1935, page 312; et al. See less