March. RACING. [Woodblock print from "An Almanac of Twelve Sports"]

William Nicholson

Published by William Heinemann, London, 1898

About this Item

Coloured woodblock print entitled "RACING," for the month of March. Published in the book "An Almanac of Twelve Sports" written by Rudyard Kipling and illustrated by William Nicholson (London: William Heinemann, 1898). Printed text on sheet verso reads: "The horse is ridden - the jockey rides - / The backers back - the owners own / But.there are lots of things besides, / And I should leave this play alone." Print mounted in archival acid-free mat, hand-inked rules around mat window. Print: 7.5 x 7.5 in; mat window: 10.75 x 8.5 in; mat: 20 x 16 in. Near fine example, from sight; faint stripe of toning between print and name of month. *Not examined out of mat. *** William Newzam Prior Nicholson (1872-1949) was a British artist who would become known for his popular woodcut prints. As a boy, he studied with William Harold Cubley, eventually moving to Paris to continue his studies at the Academie Julian. During his time in Paris, Nicholson met Mabel Pryde, and the two eloped. Together, Pryde and Nicholson began producing posters, which were not initially successful. It wasn't until Nicholson was introduced to noted British publisher William Heinemann that he found his breakthrough; between 1897 to 1900, Nicholson produced six series of prints, which included An Almanac of Twelve Sports, An Alphabet, London Types, and Twelve Portraits. Nicholson's style was bold and simple, minimizing detail to impress the viewer with an immediate effect. Nicholson's work became very popular and his collaboration with Heinemann was most successful; he went on to illustrate other noted works, including The Velveteen Rabbit (Margery Williams, 1922).

Seller Inventory # 231121-004

Bibliographic Details

• Title: March. RACING. [Woodblock print from "An Almanac of Twelve Sports"]
• Publisher: William Heinemann, London
• Publication Date: 1898
• Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • International Prints