William Michael Nicholas Britain, Australia, 1809-54
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by William Nicholas
Auction Houses
About William Nicholas
Born in England in 1809, Nicholas and is believed to have trained with English printmaker A.M Huffam. He arrived in Australia in 1836. A draughtsman, lithographer and watercolourist, in the 1830s to the 1850s he specialised in watercolour portraits of Sydney society, and exhibited at the Society for the Promotion of Fine Arts in 1847 and 1849. He also lithographed many drawings for publication, including those in William Baker's Heads of the People (1848) and Profiles of Australian Aborigines(1840).
The total number of works by William Nicholas offered for sale by auction since 1975 is 21, of which 14 (67%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $68,500 for Portrait of Lady O'Connell sold by Christies in April 1998. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by William Nicholas are held by the National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery and a further two major public national galleries (see list below).
William Nicholas is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- McCulloch, Alan McCulloch, Susan McCulloch, Emily McCulloch-Childs. The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. 4th Edition, Aus Art Melbourne & The Miegunyah Press, 2006. Page 726
- Kerr, Joan. Dictionary of Australian Artists, Painters, Sketchers, Photographers and Engravers to 1870. Oxford University Press, Australia, 1993. Page 574
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 348
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
- The Find New Zealand Artists web site: a database of artist names that directs researchers to the rich resources found in New Zealand's libraries, art society exhibition histories and published sources.
Artists' Resale Royalty
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
No, ineligible. The artist has been deceased for more than 70 years.
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