Nicholl first exhibited at the R.H.A. in 1832, being elected A.R.H.A. in 1837 and R.H.A. in 1860. He also exhibited in London at the R.A. from 1832 to 1854. His earliest drawings are delightful if naive views on the Antrim coast from circa 1828. His views of Irish coastal towns seen through a fringe of wild flowers date from the 1830s.