Gilding the Lily Laura Knight
Dame Laura Knight produced this large and striking etching in 1926. The subject is sometimes identified as Lubov Chernicheva, Russian ballet dancer, whom Knight painted in 1921. The appearance of this elegant sitter suggests to us, however, that she is more likely to be the dancer, Vanda Edina, who also performed with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, and who was the subject of an evocative and affectionate pen and ink drawing by Knight in 1924. At this time,Laura Knight was becoming increasingly interested in the life - especially the back-stage life - of theatre and circus performers.
Rich impression, clear inscription.
Medium:
Soft ground etching
Size Unframed:
15ins x 9½ins
38cms x 24cms
38cms x 24cms
Size Framed:
26½ins x 20½ins
67cms x 52cms
67cms x 52cms
Markings:
Signed in pencil, lower right; annotated recto: title; from an edition of 35
Price:
£1,250