Max Beerbohm, 'Mr Harry Nicholls (In a life of pleasure)', 1893

Max Beerbohm (British, 1872 – 1956)

Mr Harry Nicholls (In a life of pleasure), 1893

Signed ‘MAX’ (lower right), inscribed with title in ink

Pencil on paper with evidence of some watercolour

11 x 8.5/8 in. (28 x 22 cm.)

Henry Thomas "Harry" Nicholls (1 March 1852 – 29 November 1926) was an English actor, comedian, songwriter and playwright, popular during the Victorian era. As an actor, he appeared in music hall, Victorian burlesques and Edwardian musical comedy. He was perhaps best known for starring in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane's annual Christmas pantomimes, alongside Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell and as the author of long-running musicals at the Gaiety Theatre. This would have been very early artwork from Beerbohm shortly before he went to the USA. He would have been in his early 20s at the time and was just starting to hone his skills as a caricaturist.