Harold Knight

British painter Harold Knight, the son of an architect, was the husband of Dame Laura Knight. He specialized in portraits and landscape paintings and his works were often copied by his wife, with whom he shared studio space and a passion for painting. The couple moved to the Staithes Artist Colony on the Yorkshire coast where their art characteristically used free brushwork in a bright Impressionist palette. During this important period in his development, Harold Knight painted the daily activities of local Staithes fishermen and their families. Laura and Harold had an influential circle of friends including George Bernard Shaw, T E Lawrence and Augustus John. Her portrait of Shaw was one of her finest works.

The most likely candidate for the submitted painting is The Bathing Pool from 1916. As noted in the catalog, this painting had been held by the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne since 1925. It was painted in oil on canvas in the format 76.6 x 76.7 cm.