Dame Laura Knight, RA, RWS (British, 1877-1970) Paddock at Ascot 63.5 x 56 cm. (25 x 22 in.) (Pa...

Dame Laura Knight, RA, RWS (British, 1877-1970) Paddock at Ascot signed 'Laura Knight' (verso) and bears inscription 'Laura Knight/PADDOCK AT ASCOT' (on a label attached verso) oil on canvas 63.5 x 56 cm. (25 x 22 in.) Painted circa 1936 Footnotes: Provenance Sold by the Executors of the Estate of the artist, Sotheby's, London, 26 November 1970, lot 81 With Thomas Agnew Harold Riley (artist) circa 1982 Geoffrey Waterhouse, 1994 Private Collection, U.K. Exhibited (possibly) London, 1936, cat.no.676 (possibly) London, Victoria and Albert Museum, XLV Olympiad, Sport in Art exhibition, 15 July-14 August, 1948 Nottingham, Nottingham Castle Museum, 1970, cat.no.82 London, Royal Academy, 1971, cat.no.896 Literature (possibly) The Illustrated London News, 2 May 1936. It is noteworthy that the image in the periodical depicts the whole of the right hand side slightly wider than this almost identical work. Up to date it had been assumed, perhaps wrongly, that the image published in the periodical related to this particular work, and that for some reason, at some time, the work had been reduced; possibly accounting for the fact and reason why this work has no signature. It is not unusual for original works of the artist to be subsequently reduced. Examples of such action include Behind the Scenes, La Parade (1919), and The Governess (1914). If the work had not been reduced as suggested as a possibility above, although it may not be a strict requirement, it is unusual for an unsigned work to be exhibited by an artist at a major exhibition such as the Royal Academy. Identification of the exact exhibition history of the present lot is made difficult by the fact that, at the Sport in Art exhibition of 1948, the artist submitted two works of the same title. As John Croft notes, it was not unusual for the artist to give the same title to two or more works. In all probability the present work was one of the two works referred to above in the 1948 Olympic Catalogue. Art was once a competitive entry at the Olympics; between 1912 and 1948 there were seven art exhibitions, but as an event it was dropped after the 1948 Olympics because of the difficulty in determining the amateurship status of the artists. The concept of such events was inspired by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who wished to meld the competitions in sports with competitions in arts. In all, the artist submitted ten works to the 1948 exhibition, obtaining an Honourable Mention Diploma for her crayon entry titled Boxing. Knight was one of only two British artists to ever win medals in the Olympic Art exhibitions, having also achieved a Silver medal in the Amsterdam 1928 Olympics for her oil painting titled Boxers. The present lot was painted circa 1936, at a time when the artist visited the races generally in Mr Sully's Rolls Royce with her companion Ally Bert. The artist had become great friends with Joe and Ally Bert from the days when she toured around the country with Carmos Circus. Joe Bert, the clown, appears in several of the artists circus works, for example Circus Matinee, The Show is on, and The Trick Act. On helping her great friend Ally Bert to arrange for the funeral of her husband Joe, the artist met Mr Sully the undertaker, who had his business in the East end of London. Subsequently, the artist took on Ally as a secretary/companion to assist on administration and household matters, and they often attended the races in Mr Sullys' funeral Rolls Royce. The artist found the Rolls Royce convenient, for when raining, there was sufficient space inside to enable her to continue to paint sat inside the vehicle. In addition, at other times, the artist took opportunity to get better aerial views above the heads of other spectators by painting sat on top of the car's roof. Knight generally attended Epsom and Ascot to paint Romany Gypsies, being attracted by their colourfulness and also fascinated by their way of life. The artist was invited to their camp at Iver Common in Buckinghamshire, where she painted many scenes and portraits of them. The artist met the same gypsies hop picking in Worcestershire, when staying in Malvern. We are grateful to John Croft for his assistance in cataloguing this work. The work is listed in the online catalogue of Laura Knight's work, under cat.no.1004. Saleroom notices: Please note that this work is partially signed 'Lau' (on the canvas overlap, verso) and not signed as stated in the cataloguing. Following further correspondence with John Croft, we believe this to be the work from The Illustrated London News as referenced in the text. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: AR AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing

Saleroom Notice:
Please note that this work is partially signed 'Lau' (on the canvas overlap, verso) and not signed as stated in the cataloguing. Following further correspondence with John Croft, we believe this to be the work from The Illustrated London News as referenced in the text.