The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)

Original painted artwork (16"x 22" overall) relating to the classic silent film "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari" (1920). Regarded as the "first true horror film", this item is open to offers.

The artwork is by the British commercial artist John Nicolson (1891-1951) & is signed "Nik" to the bottom left (he used this abbreviation & sometimes signed in full too). As far as we know, no UK posters survive from the first UK release in 1924 but in 2017 emovieposter sold a UK 1924 "...Caligari" Pressbook for $5,550 (£4,200). The Pressbook shows an image of a 6-Sheet poster which is very similar in design to the artwork we are offering (image courtesy of emovieposter). We presume the artwork we have is a near finished concept artwork for the 6-Sheet poster. The mis-spelt "Caligari" also supports the idea of an early prototype.

In the interests of transparency, a leading auction house has cast doubt on the authenticity of this artwork but the provenance of the piece is as follows. The artwork was purchased in 2025 from a non-specialist UK auction house. It was offered along with various items belonging to the artist (members of the artist's family were present & bidding to re-acquire items, presumably bequeathed outside the family following Nicholson's death). Whilst the 2025 auction EST was £200-300, it eventually sold for a four figure sum.

The artwork is painted on card & mounted on another piece of card. It has a paper overlay & in the bottom left corner is the pencil written note "Poster for a film".

The provenance is as described & not embellished at all. If there are reservations about authenticity the artwork may be viewed in person by appointment. Payment for this item will be accepted by Bank Transfer, Paypal ("Family & Friends") or Debit Card only). A supplementary P&P charge will be required for all buyers & if sent overseas the full value will be disclosed for insurance purposes. Buyers may also collect by appointment too.

A fascinating & intriguing piece of early cinema memorabilia & visually attractive too.

Price: £0.00

Film Category: Horror / Foreign
Director: Robert Wiene
Actor / Actresses: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Freidrich Feher
Poster Type: Original Artwork
Poster Artist: Nicolson John
Condition: Excellent
Year: 1920
Reference: 63189

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