Sir William Nicholson (British, 1872-1949)
Still Life: Emile's Things
signed and dated 'Nicholson/1912' (on the lower left of the mirror)
oil on canvas
92.2 x 71.4 cm. (36 1/4 x 28 1/8 in.)
Footnotes:
Provenance
Probably acquired in the 1920s, or earlier, by the present owner's great aunt
Private Collection, U.K.

The title of this unrecorded work by William Nicholson is the one used by the family in whose possession it has been since the 1920s, or earlier. 'Emile' was a dressmakers at 9 Hanover Square in Mayfair London, circa 1927-32, whose clientele was mainly debutantes and their mothers; the business was run by the vendor's great aunt. When and where she acquired the painting is not recorded – perhaps direct from the artist as so far it has not been possible to find any exhibition or other references to this work, whose original title has yet to be discovered.

The handling of paint is typical of Nicholson at this period who so evidently enjoys the challenge of depicting surface textures and reflective surfaces. There is a dramatic use of light and shade, together with an equally exciting palette of orange, red and turquoise. The work is particularly interesting as part of Nicholson's search to find a rational for his increasingly large still-life's, and several motifs link it to other works of the period, such as the inclusion of a reflected figure in a still-life as in the untraced Still Life, in the Studio of 1911 (Reed cat.237).

The composition with a collection of garments and accessories in front of an oval mirror reflecting a female figure recalls the earlier Souvenir de Marie (Dublin City Art Gallery, The Hugh Lane) of 1906. This was presented by the artist to Sir Hugh Lane with a dedication in 1912, the year in which the present work was executed. It is possible that Lane may have encouraged Nicholson to revisit the subject, here treated on a larger scale and in portrait rather than landscape format, but featuring the same black framed oval mirror. There are fewer items here, whose varied textures are skilfully depicted: a black felt hat with feather and a plaited leather band rests on the pale cream fur lining of a coat with an arm hole opening just discernible. Adjoining is the embroidered white lining of the turquoise silk garment to the right – perhaps an opera coat. A pair of ladies red leather walking shoes, made for a slender foot with an elegant French heel, are standing on the turquoise silk. A disconcerting position, while even more startling is the juxtaposition of the orange organza scarf behind. This is the development of a device that Nicholson had used the previous year in The Black Vase (Bradford Art Gallery) where yellow silk provides a single note of colour. The dried seed heads known as honesty, here in a slender glass vase with another spray resting against the mirror, also appeared in the three other works dating from 1911: The Black Vase and The Chinese Vase both in Bradford Art Gallery, and Honesty in a Staffordshire Jug.

Nicholson's prominently displayed signature on a piece of paper tucked into the frame of the mirror can likewise be related to Souvenir de Marie - in the latter there is a label in a more conventional location, foreground right. The reflection of the label in the mirror suggests that this is a black mirror rather than the usual silver-backed one. Black mirrors appear in several still-life's of the period, for example China Figures and Black Mirror (Private Collection) of 1909.

Although it was primarily colour and texture that dictated their selection, it is possible that whereas the garments in the Dublin painting are all historic or theatrical costumes, those depicted here are contemporary ones. The woman reflected in the black mirror is wearing contemporary evening dress, but in contrast to the opulence of foreground fabrics her gown is sketched out in white. The artist's interest is obviously more in the garments rather than in the woman, which must be evidence that this is not a portrait. There is also the somewhat imperious look on her face, half lost in shadow. (She has after all usurped the viewer's position in the mirror.) In this same year Nicholson painted the untraced Equestrian Portrait: The Lady in Green (Reed cat.254): a reviewer, Sir Claude Phillips, commented that the sitter regarded the onlooker 'with something that nearly approaches a sneer'. This is most unlike Nicholson and might suggest that he was having difficulties with female sitters at this time. The artist's gift of the Souvenir de Marie to Lane was in part thanks for securing him a major commission in 1912, the portrait of Lady Phillips (Johannesburg Art Gallery). Any other link to this commission would be purely speculative, and the woman in the mirror bears no physical resemblance to Lady Phillips. No doubt several portrait commissions before World War I were abandoned – the details of which are now lost – as female sitters proved difficult and unreliable, unlike the beautiful objects in the still life.

The canvas bears the Chenil Gallery stamp found on several of Nicholson's canvases dating from the period 1909-1921. The gallery, which was near the artist's studio in the King's Road, Chelsea, sold artist's materials.

We are grateful to Patricia Reed for compiling this catalogue entry.