60 years of collecting and now selling down...this the last of a small collection of Nichol's work and retained until now because I believe one of her very earliest works.
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Catherine Maude Nichols RE (1847-1923)
“Curious Corner”
Original Signed Titled Trial Proof Etching printed by Frederick Goulding
Catherine Maude Nichols was a Norwich artist. A painter in both oils and watercolours, and an etcher and printmaker.
Apart from being exceptionally skilled she was adventurous in her choice of medium and was experimenting with lithography in the early days.
Her work is mainly the landscapes of East Anglia and of her home, Norwich.
She was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers in 1882, an early recognition for a woman, and first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1877 and subsequently many times thereafter, in addition as a regular exhibitor at the Suffolk Street Exhibition.
It is recorded she lived in the same house in Norwich (Surrey Street) all her life. Her work is held in many collections but in particular in Norwich Castle Museum collection.
Plate: 25cm x 17.5cm
Sheet: 34cm x 23cm
Printed on a pale cream wove paper.
The etching is loose, not mounted not framed
It is signed in pencil by Nichols on the reverse , not the face
Immediately below the lower platemark on the right it is signed in pencil by probably the most famous printer in Britain in the 20th Century, Frederick Goulding and he denotes himself as “imp”: printer
On the lower sheet edge in pencil is written: "I fancy this is the best proof" . These words I believe written by Goulding, not Nichols but perhaps I am wrong.
I would conclude that this is most likely a work made by her whilst at the Academy Schools and printed by Goulding who was in attendance.
It is very much a trial proof because as you can see the wall on the left has temporary line work to act as an aide as to what should happen with it when reaching the stage of a becoming a published impression
Fredrick Goulding was the master printer in residence at The Royal academy Schools in the period and preferred printer for the majority of the big names off the etching revival. Surmise therefore this was Nichiols work depicting her immediate surroundings - in this case one of the studios.
An artist easel with several canvases leaning against it and several pot plants and small a plaques and picture on wall at the top.
An unusual and intriguing work by this skilled consummate artist. I have never seen another impression, so perhaps it was deemed not worthy of finishing up to published condition? Perhaps a dedicated collector of Nichols, and there are some ( they have purchased from me in the past) will know the answer to that.
Condition is good with no foxing, tears, damage or creasing plate or margins
My photos are in natural daylight. I do not digitally enhance images. I try to ensure what you see is what you get