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Provenance:
Chris Beetles, London
Gorringes, Lewes, October 2011, lot 1510
Exhibited:
London, Chris Beetles, 'More than a Touch of Poetry': Landscapes by Charles Knight RWS ROI (1901-1990), June 1997, no.97
This original signed oil painting by Charles Knight ROI VPRWS (1901–1990), titled Winter Beeches, is a rare preparatory sketch for his later and more widely exhibited work Winter Beeches at Poynings. It captures the quiet elegance of leafless beech trees in winter, rendered in Knight’s signature muted palette and expressive brushwork. The scene evokes the stillness of the Sussex countryside, a region Knight was deeply connected to throughout his career.
Knight was a celebrated British landscape painter, trained at the Royal Academy Schools and winner of the Turner Gold Medal. His works are held in major collections including the Tate, and he was commissioned for the WWII Recording Britain project. Known for his sensitive depictions of rural England, Knight’s art blends traditional landscape techniques with a poetic sense of place.
Winter Beeches offers collectors a unique insight into Knight’s creative process, making it not only a visually compelling piece but also a historically significant one. Ideal for those seeking authentic British landscape art with strong provenance.