11th Dec, 2024 12:00
Fine Paintings & Works on Paper
59
⊕ JUSTIN KNOWLES (BRITISH 1935-2004)
UNTITLED 1965 : 27
signed and dated JUSTIN KNOWLES / 1965 : 27 on the reverse
acrylic on canvas
185 x 214cm; 72 3/4 x 84 1/4in
210 x 242cm; 82 1/2 x 95 1/4in (framed)
Property from a London Collection
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner in 1966
Exhibited
Edinburgh, The Richard Demarco Gallery 8, Justin Knowles, 1967
Born in Exeter, and with little formal training behind him, Knowles met with immediate success as both sculptor and painter when he first exhibited in New York in the English Eye exhibition at Marlborough-Gerson Gallery in 1965, and was awarded second prize at the exhibtion Open Painting at the Ulster Museum, Belfast organised by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in 1966.
Writing in Studio International in 1972, Patrick Heron contended that Knowles' work was ‘eloquent and fertile’, and commanded ‘a sheerness of image that is absolutely masterly’. A devastating fire in 1973, however, destroyed a large proportion of his output, and he did not exhibit again until the 1990s - a period he termed the 'silent time'.
Despite the huge loss of Knowles' corpus of work, his final years were largely successful. He began producing sculpture again, spare and beautiful works superbly finished in a range of materials. Thus followed a string of high-profile shows, including at the National Technical Museum, Prague; at Austin / Desmond Fine Art, London and at Lemon Street Gallery, Truro in the early 2000s. His aquamarine, iridescent cross commissioned by Exeter Cathedral in 2002 remains there to this day—a lasting memory of the artist's life-long achievements in his city of birth.
Sold for £5,000
UNTITLED 1965 : 27
signed and dated JUSTIN KNOWLES / 1965 : 27 on the reverse
acrylic on canvas
185 x 214cm; 72 3/4 x 84 1/4in
210 x 242cm; 82 1/2 x 95 1/4in (framed)
Property from a London Collection
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner in 1966
Exhibited
Edinburgh, The Richard Demarco Gallery 8, Justin Knowles, 1967
Born in Exeter, and with little formal training behind him, Knowles met with immediate success as both sculptor and painter when he first exhibited in New York in the English Eye exhibition at Marlborough-Gerson Gallery in 1965, and was awarded second prize at the exhibtion Open Painting at the Ulster Museum, Belfast organised by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in 1966.
Writing in Studio International in 1972, Patrick Heron contended that Knowles' work was ‘eloquent and fertile’, and commanded ‘a sheerness of image that is absolutely masterly’. A devastating fire in 1973, however, destroyed a large proportion of his output, and he did not exhibit again until the 1990s - a period he termed the 'silent time'.
Despite the huge loss of Knowles' corpus of work, his final years were largely successful. He began producing sculpture again, spare and beautiful works superbly finished in a range of materials. Thus followed a string of high-profile shows, including at the National Technical Museum, Prague; at Austin / Desmond Fine Art, London and at Lemon Street Gallery, Truro in the early 2000s. His aquamarine, iridescent cross commissioned by Exeter Cathedral in 2002 remains there to this day—a lasting memory of the artist's life-long achievements in his city of birth.
Auction: Fine Paintings & Works on Paper, 11th Dec, 2024
Auction Location: London, UK
Our sale of Fine Paintings and Works on Paper features 80 lots spanning four centuries. It includes works from two significant deceased estates: art dealer Alexander Iolas who promoted the bright and playful works by Jean Hugo and Niki de Sainte Phalle (lots 44-52), and gallerist Karsten Schubert, led by a green revolver on a vibrant red background by Michael Craig-Martin (lot 53), currently the subject of a retrospective at the Royal Academy, Piccadilly.
Colour dominates many of the post-War works. A stripe painting by the leading Washington Colour Field artist Gene Davis is a sale highlight. Davis worked alongside Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland also from D.C. in the 1950s and ‘60s perfecting his distinctive style. 65-6 by Davis (lot 58) dances and rhymes before the viewer’s eye. From the same collection and similarly optical are the works by Joe Tilson (lot 60) from 1965, and a rare painting by Justin Knowles (lot 59). Fellow colourist Howard Hodgkin is represented by Here we are in Croydon from 1979 (lot 63).
Modern British is led by an attractive group of watercolours by John Nash (lots 34-37), all acquired from the artist by the present owner’s grandfather. Other British figurative painters featured in the sale include Alan Lowdnes with a street scene in Altrincham near Manchester (lot 40), and three sketches by the young Michael Andrews (lots 41-43). Elsewhere there are works by John Piper and humorous illustrations by graphic artists Ronald Searle and Quentin Blake (lots 71 & 72).
Artists from further afield include two 18th/ 19th century Cuzco paintings from Peru and good Australian examples: a watercolour by John Russell of the Pont de Neuilly, and an atmospheric painting of a dust storm in the New South Wales out back by John Charles Goodhart of 1907 capturing a storm that year (lots 31 & 38). ‘en plein-air’-ists in the sale include Otto Modersohn, co-founder of Worpswede school in Bavaria in the 1890s (lot 19) and three delightful paintings of children by Scottish painter Gemmel Hutchison, influenced by Barbizon in France and the Hague School in Holland (lots 27, 28 & 30).
For more information please contact us | pictures@olympiaauctions.com | +44 (0)20 7806 5541
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 8th December: 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Monday 9th December: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Tuesday 10th December: 10:00am to 5:00pm
