Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are offering for sale this lovely watercolour by the artist Wilfred Knox, who has signed the painting in the lower left hand corner with his pseudonym A. D. Bell and dated it 1939. The painting depicts a harbour scene at sunset, with the town or city to the right with a prominent church spire. There is a large steamship, a larger two funnelled liner, with smoke issuing from both funnels and, in the centre, a clipper silhouetted against the setting sun. There is fisherman rowing a boat with a lobster pot onboard, to the foreground and a barge to the right.

To quote Jeremy Wood's book Hidden Talents:

'WILFRED KNOX' was a painter in watercolour, gouache and occasionally oil, of marines and landscapes, who was born in Handsworth, Birmingham in 1884. Little is known of his early life although Wilfred Knox had worked as an engineer and served in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. He painted under contract for Frost and Reed but much of his work was painted for a local Birmingham dealer under the pseudonym of A. D. Bell. The subjects were mostly clipper ships, harbour scenes and landscapes with views in the West Country, Scotland, Ireland and Venice. Some early works of First World War fighter planes are known to exist but the Venice views in the manner of Frank Wasley, are among his most decorative and collectable work. At least one other artist painted under the pseudonym of A. D. Bell - Horace Hammond - but these pictures were mostly in the style of Birket Foster and quite easily distinguished from Knox. Wilfred Knox also used the pseudonym R. MacGregor and most of these pictures were clipper ships. A fictitious printed biography often found on the old frames of A. D. bell paintings have for many years helped to hide the artists' true identities. Wilfred Knox died on 30th October 1966 at the age of 82. An exhibition of over 50 of his works was held by Harper Fine Paintings, at Poynton, Cheshire, in November 1987.'

Auction results achieved by the works of Wilfred Knox can be found at artprice.com (384 listings), askart.com (143), artnet.com (75), findartinfo.com (139) and arcadja.com (137). We have included the total number of listing under Wilfred Knox, William Knox, as he is often catalogued, A. D. Bell, as well as A. David Bell and Arthur D. Bell, again often catalogued by auction houses. His works are regularly listed, under both Wilfred Knox and A. D. Bell, in Hislop's Guide to the UK Art Market.

Research of our own has shown that Wilfred Knox was born on 23rd June 1884 in Great Bridge, Staffordshire. He joined the Royal Flying Corps on 12th September, 1916 as a fitter and was moved into the RAF after its inception. He served for the duration of the war. He married Elsie Maud nee George (1889-1984) in 1911 and had one son and two daughters. He died in Handsworth, Birmingham in 1966.

The painting is mounted with washlines and is framed in a 1 1/2" gilt frame. It will be supplied wired with new brass picture wire and brass hangers and will be ready to hang.

Image size: 14 1/2" x 10 1/2" - 36.85cm x 26.65cm

Frame size: 24 1/2" x 21" - 62.25cm x 53.35cm

Medium: Watercolours.

Condition: Very good with no fading or foxing. The mount and frame are in very good condition with minimal wear.