Rhoda Holmes Nicholls

Who was Rhoda Holmes Nicholls?

Rhoda Holmes Nicholls was an American water-color painter, born in Coventry, England. She was a pupil of the Bloomsbury School of Art in London and won the Queen's scholarship, later studying in Rome under Cammerano and Vertunni. In 1884, after marrying in Sussex Burr H. Nicholls, she removed to the United States and eventually settled in New York City. Besides identifying herself prominently with the New York Water Color Club, Mrs. Nicholls became a member of the American Society of Miniature Painters and of the American Water Color Society and served as coeditor of Palette and Brush. Her work is strong, brilliant, and individual. Among the best examples are her Venetian water colors and her illustrations for Howells' Venetian Life. Four of her paintings are in the Boston Art Club and two in the Boston Museum. She received a gold medal at the Competitive Prize Fund Exhibit, New York, and various other awards.