James Craig Nicoll

James Craig Nicoll was a graphic artist primarily active between 1875 and 1886. The surviving portion of his known oeuvre consists of prints dedicated to coastal and maritime themes, reflecting the late 19th-century interest in dramatic atmospheric etchings.

Five of Nicoll’s prints are currently represented in major institutional collections, providing a factual basis for understanding his thematic focus. These works often depict coastal infrastructure and activity, frequently set along the Atlantic seaboard. His documented prints include the related compositions The Smuggler's Landing Place and A Smuggler's Landing Place, alongside the generalized port scene Harbor Scene. Nicoll also captured specific American locations, notably in the print Ten Pound Island Gloucester, and demonstrated an affinity for low-light conditions in pieces such as Moonlight at Low Tide.

The institutional presence of the artist’s work establishes his historical credibility. James Craig Nicoll's prints are preserved and held in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art. As many of his compositions have entered the public domain, high-quality prints derived from these historical works are widely available, allowing for continued access and study of the James Craig Nicoll prints.