Harold Knight (1874-1961)
| Artist Name | Harold Knight (1874-1961) |
|---|---|
| Title | Seated Female Portrait |
| Description | This superb British portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of Harold Knight. Painted circa 1930, it is a seated study of a woman in soft focus, arms raised to one side to hold a staff and gazing down to her left. The background is blocks of colour in muted tones, reminiscent of the Cornish artists. The tones of her flesh are fantastic and where the light particularly catches her shoulder and right forearm they almost appear as mother of pearl. It is an unusual pose and the artist has perfectly captured her musculature. Although a full figure, it is quite demure and modest in its tone, aided by the soft focus and muted tones. A really lovely 1930's portrait housed in a fantastic empire frame. |
| Provenance | Scottish estate. |
| Medium | Oil on Canvas |
| Size | 18 x 24 inches |
| Frame | House in a gilt frame, 31 inches by 25 inches and in good condition. |
| Condition | Good condition. |
| Biography | Harold Knight (1874-1961) was born in Nottingham, the son of an architect, and studied at Nottingham School of Art under Wilson Foster. It was at the School of Art that he met his future wife, Laura Johnson, who he married in 1903. Harold was a quiet character who is largely remembered, unfairly, as an adept but unexciting painter, while Laura (later Dame Laura) was flamboyant in both her life and art and achieved greater public renown. After spending time in Paris and then at Staithes on the North Yorkshire coast, Harold Knight moved to Newlyn, with Laura, in 1907. The couple mainly lived and worked in Lamorna, becoming key figures in the Lamorna group, and they remained in Cornwall until 1919. During the First World War, Knight’s high principles led him to be a conscientious objector, which earned him the rebuke of many of his colleagues and former friends, and put a strain on his physical and mental health as he was forced to work as a farm labourer. When the War ended, he and Laura moved to London, although they frequently returned to Lamorna to paint. |
| Price | £7000 |
