$44,063
Louis Aston Knight (American, 1873-1948) Jans Garden , alternatively titled California Flowers Signed and inscribed "Aston Knight, Holinby Hills" l. r., titled on labels affixed to the reverse. Oil on canvas, 32 x 25 1/2 in. (81.3 x 64.8 cm), framed. Condition: Subtle craquelure, surface grime. N.B. Born in Paris in 1873, Louis Aston Knight, the son of American genre painter and expatriate, Daniel Ridgway Knight, spent most of his life and career in France. While he studied at the Académie Julian in Paris with Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Tony Robert-Fleury from 1891 through 1895, Aston Knight also received his artistic training from his father. His work departed from his father's as Aston Knight depicted pastoral landscapes usually without figures and began to incorporate elements of Impressionism that he learned from the paintings of Claude Monet. Knight's admiration for Monet's gardens at Giverny inspired him to plant his own garden and, purportedly, Knight offered prizes to neighbors with the best gardens, ensuring he would have beautiful floral surroundings to paint. Around 1925, Knight moved to California and painted views of San Francisco, Santa Monica, and the Monterey Peninsula.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2006-09-15
