Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949)

Written in an unknown hand on a label on the back of the present work reads the inscription 'Camellias/by William Nicholson/painted at/Rozelle, Ayr/1933'. Rozelle was the family home of Col. Claud Lorn Campbell Hamilton (1874-1954) and his wife Veronica (1885-1959), located two miles south of Ayr on the west coast of Scotland. Browse states that this work was painted when Nicholson was staying with the Hamiltons in 1933, but, as camellias do not normally flower in July, it seems likely that the present work dates from William Nicholson's documented visit to Rozelle in March 1934.

The first recorded owner of this work, Miss Viola C.H. Stirling CBE (1906-1989) of Gargunnock House, west of Stirling, was a friend of the Hamiltons of Rozelle.

We are very grateful to Patricia Reed for preparing this catalogue entry.