Charles Knight (1901–1990) Master of the English Watercolour

Charles Knight was a celebrated British painter whose works have become treasured examples of 20th-century English landscape painting. Born on 27 August 1901 in Hove, Sussex, Knight developed a lifelong passion for depicting the tranquil countryside and coastlines of Britain. Today, Charles Knight paintings are prized by collectors, galleries, and museums for their exceptional composition, subtle colour, and timeless atmosphere.

Knight’s artistic journey began at the Brighton School of Art (1919–1923), where he studied under Louis Ginnett. His talent was quickly recognised when he won a coveted scholarship to the Royal Academy Schools in 1923. There, he learned traditional techniques, including painting in oil over a tempera base, a method taught by Charles Sims. While a student, Knight received the Turner Gold Medal, the Landseer Scholarship, and several portrait drawing awards—early signs of the acclaim that would follow his work.

A pivotal influence was his discovery of the painter John Sell Cotman, whose mastery of watercolour inspired Knight’s dedication to the medium. Many Charles Knight paintings from this period echo Cotman’s clarity of design while revealing Knight’s own lyrical sensibility. His early oil, Llangollen, was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1926 and later acquired by the Tate Gallery, significantly raising his profile.

Knight began teaching at Brighton School of Art in 1925, later becoming Vice-Principal and Head of the Drawing and Painting Department (1959–1967). He balanced teaching with an active exhibition schedule, showing his work at the Royal Institute of Painters in Oils (elected in 1933) and the Royal Society of Painters in Water-Colours (Associate in 1933, full Member in 1936, and Vice-President (VPRWS) in 1961).

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Charles Knight paintings of Sussex, Cornwall, and Norfolk gained widespread popularity. During World War II, he contributed 40 evocative drawings to the Pilgrim Trust’s Recording Britainproject, earning high praise from Sir William Russell Flint as the “star turn” of the initiative. He also painted decorative panels for railway carriages and worked as a perspective draughtsman for the architectural firm J.L. Denman.

In 1944, Knight was invited by the Queen Mother to teach Princess Margaret watercolour painting, a prestigious commission that lasted three years. Despite wartime demands, he continued to develop his distinct style, characterised by a restrained palette and a strong sense of place.

Knight lived most of his adult life in Ditchling, Sussex, where the surrounding countryside profoundly shaped his work. He retired from teaching in 1967 but never stopped painting. Even in later years, Charles Knight paintings retained their refined composition and poetic vision.

He died on 15 May 1990, leaving behind a legacy that has only grown in significance. His work is held in major public collections, including the Tate, the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Towner Art Gallery, and regional galleries across Britain. Retrospectives at the Towner Art Gallery and the Chris Beetles Gallery have renewed collectors’ interest in his contribution to British art.

For collectors and enthusiasts searching for Charles Knight paintings, his artworks offer an authentic connection to the English landscape and an enduring testament to the craft of watercolour painting. As demand for 20th-century British art increases, Charles Knight paintings continue to captivate with their quiet beauty, technical mastery, and timeless appeal.

Source: Various web based research and articles