Dame Laura Knight, RA, RWS (British, 1877-1970)


Study of a girl signed 'Laura Johnson' (upper right)charcoal49.5 x 39.4cm (19 1/2 x 15 1/2in).
|ProvenanceThe Fine Art Society, London.Private collection, UK (acquired from the above 30 March 1955).Property of a Charitable Trust.Laura Knight (née Johnson) began her artistic training at the Nottingham Art School at the age of thirteen. At the time, women were disadvantaged as they were not allowed to paint from life models, instead having to use plaster casts. Despite this, Knight's portraits were handled with skill and sensitivity.1 Self-portrait executed circa 1892-94, Man in a Top Hat from 1892-96 and Girl's Head executed circa 1891 all bear resemblance in handling and medium to the present lot, illustrated in Caroline Fox's Dame Laura Knight, 1988, p. 10, 11 & 13 respectively. We are grateful to Mr R. John Croft FCA for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.1 Caroline Fox, Dame Laura Knight, Oxford, 1988, p. 9.