06 April 2024

Passion for Life: artist Dame Laura Knight

Knight, The Fishing Fleet, 1900  

Boston Museum & Art Gallery.


Knight, The Boys Newlyn Cornwall, 1909,  
Johannesburg Art Gallery.

Barbara Morden’s book dealt with the British artist born to the impov­erished Johnson fam­ily. Passion for Life: Dame Laura Knight (1877-1970) cov­er­ed Knight’s early years in Nott­ing­ham, her rel­at­ion­ship with husband Harold, life in art­ists col­on­­ies, her love of ballet, circ­us and theat­re, and travels in Eur­ope and US. It also ex­am­ined her role as the only female Offic­ial War Artist in WW2

R John Croft was the great-nephew of Laura Knight, and retold many of the tales directly from his aunt, sharing them with the author. As he did with the family photos. But, as well as retelling the fam­ily tales, Morden did thorough research into Knight’s history and leg­acy: correspondence, facts, events, parties, love affairs and art. Morden enhanced the book by describing the significant people who were influen­t­­ial in the development of the different styles in which Knight worked throughout her long career. The book all­owed the reader to see Knight’s vibrant pers­onality of course. And expl­or­ing the darker shades of her character gave this portrait depth.

Knight, Lamorna Birch and his daughters

Nottingham Uni, started in 1916

 

Knight, Spring, 1916-1920, 

Tate, London.

 

Born Laura Johnson, she started painting at 13 by enrolling in the Nottingham School of Art, and studied in France as well. She only stopped studying when her mother died, and she was forc­ed to start earn­ing money for the family. In fact, she unhappily took on her mother’s private art pupils.

Laura married artist Harold Knight in 1903 at 23, and they both joined artists’ colonies in Staithes Nth Yorkshire and Holland. They then joined Cornwall’s famous Newlyn School, socialising and shar­­ing artistic ideas with Walter Langley, Stanhope Forb­es and Alfred Mun­n­ings. Laura joined the wild social life but Harold was more cautious.

She loved painting the marginalised people on the edges of society, immersing her­self in the lives of circus performers and painted them from ob­servation. In fact in the 1930s, she travelled for several months with a tour­ing circus. Laura also spent several years drawing and painting Gypsies at Epsom races, then went to visit a Gypsy settle­ment in Iver Bucks. Over some months, she visited daily and painted a number of portraits in one family. And Knight loved to get behind the scenes of attractive car­eers. She painted scenes of actresses and ballet dancers, cap­t­uring performers backstage, resting and changing costumes.

With her own successful ventures Knight prom­ot­ed other wo­men in Brit­ish art who could ach­ieve their own goals eg she skilfully captured the heroism of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force offic­ers, showing the more workaday life of war-time lathe operators and munitions workers. She assisted with the war effort, creating propa­g­anda posters for the War Artists Advisory Committee. But there was a cost. Became she became a prominent public figure who wielded considerable influence in art circles, history portrayed Knight as an artist of the Establishment, a member of the boys' clubs. 
 

Knight, Elsie on Hassan, 1929, 

Nottingham City Museums and Galleries.


For another World War Two painting that focused on women's contributions, see Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breech Ring  1943, displayed at the Imperial War Museums. Professionally operating an industrial lathe was something that would never have been expected from a young woman.
 
Rudy Loftus Screwing a Breech Ring, 1943
Commissioned by War Artists' Advisory Committee
Imperial War Museums

Knight was a core re­c­order of the crucial Nur­emberg Trials in 1946 when she was in her late 60s. In it she showed the Court, press box and the accused, and above the painting, see the devastation of a war-torn landscape.

Knight, The Nuremberg Trial, 1946,

Imperial War Museums London.


Barbara Morden specialised in art and literary history at Not­­t­ingham & Newcastle Universities. She was well known nationally and internat­ion­ally for her entertaining and scholarly lectures and for some years worked for the Open Uni as Arts Consul­tant and Lect­urer. Morden was a regular contributor to the English Review and has recently given lect­ures and gallery tours in New­castle, Sheffield, Nottingham & Norwich. Her book easily showed that Knight was one of the most notable wom­en ar­t­ists, at home and abroad, the first female artist to be made a Dame of the British Empire

The book prob­ed the myths that ap­p­eared after Knight’s death and continued to be woven around the art­ist. Knight had been a hard-working artist who longed to penetrate the mystery of form and colour. Thus she became one of Britain’s most pop­ular C20th Impres­s­ion­ist painters, but her brave colours eventually became unfashionable. She had been comfortable with the fig­urative, realist tradition but critics seemed to have wanted more Expressionism. Nonetheless during her long and fruitful career, she cont­in­ued to paint and exhibit and in 1965, becoming the first female artist to hold a solo retrospective at the RA.

These great images came from Daily Art Magazine.



24 comments:

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Some bloody good artwork here, didn't read anything this morning I am in too much pain to concentrate with my damn jaw, having a tooth out never use to make me feel this crook

roentare said...

These paintings are imbued with such a warmth and passion. A really great vibe coming off them.

diane b said...

Thank you for educating me about this artist. In my ignorance,I had never heard of Knight. Her work is wonderful. So much detail and the way she captures different light is amazing.

Margaret D said...

What lovely paintings, talented lady Hels.

jabblog said...

Her paintings are beautiful, so full of life and colour.
My husband met her when he was a little boy. His father was a good amateur artist and took him to meet many artists of the day.

Hels said...

Jo-Anne

as important as women's art was back then, aching teeth must take first priority.
I feel very sorry for you, as does just about everyone else on the planet who has ever suffered from problem teeth.

Hels said...

roentare

had a lot of struggles, but she had a passion for art, an exciting pers­onality, an art-focused husband and a community of talented and like minded artists around her (Newlyn School). The passion in her art was indeed palpable.

Hels said...

diane

once we started examining the Newlyn School of Art at uni, I came across Laura Knight more and more. Stanhope Forbes, Walter Langley and others may have been better known, but the students in the women's movement really loved Knight.

Hels said...

Margaret

I would look for her works at the Imperial War Museum London and the Museum of London, and if you are in the UK soon, see "Dame Laura Knight: I Paint Today", Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum until 30 June 2024.

Otherwise the images on the internet are beautiful :)

Hels said...

jabblog

Your father in law was not only a good amateur artist; he was a fantastic father. Your husband will always remember the artists that he met, back in the day.

From 1955-65 my mother took me to concerts that her cousin conducted, and to book readings where her other cousin read his own novels. I was so impressed :)

Andrew said...

One of the many interesting women you come across. As it was kind of your profession as an historian, I am quite sure you would be well aware of the doubtfulness of oral history.

Rosemary said...

I have been aware of Dame Laura Knight for all of my life as she was born in my home county of Derbyshire. My favourite painting of hers is 'Self Portrait with Nude'. A few years ago there was a film made about Laura and her husband Harold called 'Summer in February' and set in Cornwall. If ever you get the chance, catch it if you can.
I notice that you have mentioned Walter Langley in your comment to Diane - I am fortunate enough to have two small watercolour sketches by him each one featuring a young Newlyn girl - it has been suggested that they are preparatory sketches for a larger painting.

Women of the Wars said...

Laura Knight (1877–1970) was one of a handful of women artists to be officially commissioned by the War Artists Advisory Committee. "In for Repairs" portrays a team of women fixing a barrage balloon as part of the war effort. These devices were used to defend cities from enemy planes. Knight blends an impressionistic painterly treatment of the vast fabric with a rendering of the women in functional masculine clothing. This scene is one of the more tranquil depictions of war that Knight painted; her work saw her also produce paintings of the Nuremberg trials in 1945–1946.

Women of the wars: five female artists who depicted women's contributions
02 Sep 2020

hels said...

Andrew
"nod" have read, heard and viewed historical sources many times in the past that were promoted as accurate. Now I check and double check original sources, recognising
that they may have been censored or deleted.
I really like Laura Knight's surviving works, even though I know that the less popular ones might have been damaged by critics.

hels said...

Rosemary,
You are one fortunate woman, three times over. I will look for Summer in February straight away, thank you.

hels said...

Jack,
Thank you for the post. Especially since I had never heard of In For Repairs.

Mandy said...

I think it's fascinating that Knight worked for the Nuremberg trials. I have to admit that I do like Ruby Loftus's work that you've featured. I shall seek out more.

Hels said...

Mandy

Knight was very proud of being officially commissioned by the War Artists Advisory Committee. But going to the Nuremberg trials must have been nightmarish. Even though the war had finished by then, the goal of these international trials was to expose the details of German barbarism so that the mass murders could never be denied afterwards.

Ruby Loftus was the outstanding factory worker who had learned complex engineering skills, not an artist. I wish I had some technical or engineering skills.

Parnassus said...

Hello Hels, Thank you for introducing me to yet another fine artist whose name I have heard, but never concentrated on their work. With your pictures here, and a look around the internet, I can see that her range of art and commentary on life are impressive. By the way, I think that first caption should credit the Bolton Museum. The MFA in Boston, Massachusetts is impressive, but they let that painting get away.
--Jim
p.s. Sorry if I missed a post or two. I just got back in Cleveland, between being shaken by the Taiwan earthquake and getting ready for the 4/8 total eclipse, which was magnificent.

hels said...

Parnassus
Oops I am a good typist so I hope the computer made Bolton into Boston with its irritating auto correct. I will make the proper correction when I get home on Sunday. Thanks :)

My name is Erika. said...

Wow, Dame Laura Knight was a fabulous painter. I haven't heard of her, but now I want to know more. She also lived at an interesting time and was able to paint so many different lifestyles, which was great to see. Have a super rest of your weekend.

Hels said...

Erika

An interesting time was correct. Marrying a successful artist Harold Knight in 1903, and joining artists’ colonies were important, then joining Cornwall’s the Newlyn School and working with Britain's most important artists was the highlight.

No wonder she earned her Damehood, and was one of the first women to be elected to full membership of the Royal Academy.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Hels - Laura Knight was exceptionally talented ... when I was giving my Blue Stocking talk I found out that she was the first woman to be elected as a full member of the Royal Academy in 1936. Angelica Kauffman (1741 - 1807) and Mary Moser (1744 - 1819) were the only two female founding members of the Royal Academy - but couldn't exhibit - being women. Cheers Hilary

Hels said...

Hilary

when I had a good look at Johann Zoffany’s very famous painting of the Academy’s founders (early 1770s), I couldn't see Kauffman or Moser anywhere. Even in an anti-woman era, this was very strange. Only later did someone draw my attention to the two women's portraits high on the wall.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Academicians_of_the_Royal_Academy

What a longgggggggggg time to wait for Dame Laura Knight!