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BIOGRAPHY - Louis Aston Knight (1873 - 1948)

Louis Aston Knight

Louis Aston Knight was the son of the American expatriate painter Daniel Ridgway Knight.  Daniel Ridgway Knight was born in America and began studying art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Art.  In 1872, he traveled to Paris and continued to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After that, he remained in Europe and studied in the academic studios of the Romantic Salon painters Jules Ernst Meissonier and Charles Gleyre and the Impressionists Pierre Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley. Although Ridgway Knight spent most of his life in Europe, his American style and technique show through.  This typically American approach towards painting also influenced Louis Aston Knight.

In 1873, Louis Aston Knight was born in Paris.  Unlike his father, Aston Knight was raised and educated in Europe.  Knight attended the Chigwell School in England for his Liberal Arts Education and began his artistic training under the guidance of his father.  Later, he studied formally with the great French Romantic painters Robert-Fleury and Jules Lefebvre.

In 1894 Aston Knight debuted at the Paris Salon, starting a highly acclaimed career.  Among his many awards, he won a Bronze medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, an honorable mention at the Paris Salon in 1901, a gold medal in Lyon in 1903, a gold medal in Geneva and Nantes in 1904, and Gold medals at the Paris Salon in both 1905 and 1906, earning him the title Hors concours as the first American to win two gold medals at the Salon in two consecutive years.  Knight was also made a knight of the Legion of Honor in 1924, becoming an officer in 1928 and eventually a commander in 1934.

Louis Aston Knight is most famous for his French landscapes.  You will not find figures in his work due to an agreement that he made with his father to keep their work from looking too similar.  This was, however, unnecessary because their work is very different.  Ridgway Knight painted tightly, while Aston Knight's work shows a much stronger influence of the Impressionists with whom he was friendly.

Aston looked up to Claude Monet and visited him occasionally at his home in Giverny.  He was particularly impressed with Monet's gardens and strove to cultivate a garden as beautiful as the master's.  Knight also awarded prizes yearly to the neighboring peasants who kept the nicest gardens.  This ensured that he had good models for his cottage landscape paintings.

Gradually, Aston Knight became well known in the New York art scene and began to do some of his work in the States.  In 1911, Knoedler and Co. held an exhibition of his landscapes of the U.S.A. and France.  His exhibition at the Levy Gallery in New York in 1931 attracted much attention.  In fact, "Art News" critiqued the show (26 December issue) and described his fame and plein-air approach:

A group of new landscapes by Aston Knight, the popular painter of the  Normandy Riverscape, is the Holiday attraction at the Levy Gallery. Mr. Knight sticks closely to his well established formula, doubtless due to the tremendous acclaim acquired in his earlier years when Hopkinson Smith publicized him as the "painter in the high rubber boots" for Mr. Knight was not content with studying the action of the Normandy streams from the comfortable banks.... used to do on a pair of waist-high rubber boots and setting up his easel in mid-stream, paint the purling waters at first hand.

Aston Knight was a favorite of American presidents in his day. In 1922, President Harding purchased a Louis Aston Knight to hang in the White House, and President Coolidge held a private exhibition of Knight's work during his presidency.

Many of his works have had international acclaim and are housed in the art collections of the Picker Art Gallery, Colgate University; Strong Museum, Rochester, New York; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA.; and the Hudson River Museum of Westchester.


Exhibitions:     

Knoedler & Co., N.Y., Dec 26, 1911 – Jan 6, 1912
Detroit Museum of Art, March 18 – 30, 1914
Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY, May 1918
J.  Levy Galleries, N.Y., Nov. 25 – Dec. 7, 1935

AVAILABLE WORKS
Summer Garden, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Garden, Normandy
Oil on canvas on board
32 1/4 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
My Mill - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
My Mill
Oil on canvas
18 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Sold Works
River Landscape - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
River Landscape
Oil on canvas
32 x 26 inches
Signed
Apple Blossoms - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Apple Blossoms
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Le Martinique - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Le Martinique
Oil on canvas
18.25 x 21.75 inches
Signed; also signed, titled, and inscribed on the reverse
The Old Harbor, Dordrecht, Holland - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Old Harbor, Dordrecht, Holland
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Garden Bench, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Garden Bench, Normandy
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
In Full Bloom - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
In Full Bloom
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer Along the River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Along the River
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed
A Garden on the Riviera (Cap Ferrat) - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A Garden on the Riviera (Cap Ferrat)
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed
Le Gros-Horloge, Rouen, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Le Gros-Horloge, Rouen, Normandy
Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 18 1/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Rouen
La Risle a la Heronniere, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
La Risle a la Heronniere, Normandy
Oil on canvas
32 x 25 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
A Cottage in the Meadow - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A Cottage in the Meadow
Oil on canvas
25 1/2 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Les Vieux Lavoirs, Beaumont - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Les Vieux Lavoirs, Beaumont
Oil on canvas
33 x 45 1/2 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Cottage Garden, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage Garden, Normandy
Oil on canvas
25 3/4 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Our House - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Our House
Oil on canvas
22 x 18 1/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris, also titled on the stretcher
Le Pont Fleuri, Quimperlé - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Le Pont Fleuri, Quimperlé
Oil on canvas
35 x 45 3/4 inches
Signed
Les Vieux Lavoirs, Normandie - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Les Vieux Lavoirs, Normandie
Oil on canvas
25 3/4 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
La Vieille Grange - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
La Vieille Grange
Oil on canvas
25 3/4 x 31 3/4 inches
Signed; also titled on the stretcher
Cottage Along the River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage Along the River
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Cottage by the River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage by the River
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Cottage at Beaumont-le-Roger - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage at Beaumont-le-Roger
Oil on canvas
25 3/4 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
A River Landscape - Fall - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A River Landscape - Fall
Oil on canvas
32 1/4 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Along the River, Beaumont - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Along the River, Beaumont
Oil on canvas
21 1/2 x 18 inches
Signed and inscribed Beaumont
A Summer\'s Day, La Riviere - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A Summer's Day, La Riviere
Oil on canvas
21 1/2 x 18 inches
Signed and inscribed La Riviere
Pink Phlox, Normandie - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Pink Phlox, Normandie
Oil on canvas
32 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Beaumont-le-Roger - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Beaumont-le-Roger
Oil on canvas
32 1/4 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Along the River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Along the River
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Diane\'s Cottage at Sunset - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Diane's Cottage at Sunset
Oil on canvas
21 7/8 x 18 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
The End of the Village - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The End of the Village
Oil on canvas
25 5/8 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
A River in Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A River in Normandy
Oil on canvas
25 1/2 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
A Normandy Garden - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A Normandy Garden
Oil on panel
10 1/4 x 13 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
A Canal in Venice - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A Canal in Venice
Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 18 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
The Durdent Valley, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Durdent Valley, Normandy
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed; also signed and titled on the stretcher
Quiet Corner, a Cottage Near Dieppe - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Quiet Corner, a Cottage Near Dieppe
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Le Soir, Dordrecht - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Le Soir, Dordrecht
Oil on canvas
11 x 18 1/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Look What I Caught - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Look What I Caught
Watercolor
16 7/8 x 24 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Cottage by the River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage by the River
Oil on panel
13 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Diane\'s Cottage - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Diane's Cottage
Oil on canvas
18 1/8 x 21 5/8 inches
Signed and inscribed Beaumont-le-Roger
The Mill Stream - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Mill Stream
Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 18 1/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Diane\'s Cottage - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Diane's Cottage
Oil on panel
10 5/8 x 13 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Chaumiere, a bord de l\'eau - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Chaumiere, a bord de l'eau
Oil on board
10 5/8 x 13 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris; also titled on the reverse
Cottage by the River, Launay - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage by the River, Launay
Oil on canvas
18 1/2 x 10 3/4 inches
Signed
Diane\'s Cottage - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Diane's Cottage
Oil on panel
18 1/2 x 10 3/4 inches
Signed
Risle Valley - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Risle Valley
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer Evening - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Evening
Oil on canvas
25 1/2 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Cottages Along the River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottages Along the River
Oil on canvas
32 x 25 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Beaumontel - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Beaumontel
Oil on canvas
26 x 60 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris; also titled on the stretcher
The Blue Cottage - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Blue Cottage
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer Evening, Beaumont - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Evening, Beaumont
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Beaumont
A Cottage at Goupillieres (Normandy) - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A Cottage at Goupillieres (Normandy)
Oil on canvas
18 x 22 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Diane\'s Cottage in June - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Diane's Cottage in June
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer Flowers - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Flowers
Oil on panel
10 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer Blossoms, St. Gertrude - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Blossoms, St. Gertrude
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed St. Gertrude
Goupilliere, France - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Goupilliere, France
Oil on board
10 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Goupilliere
Honfleur, France - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Honfleur, France
Oil on canvas
18 1/4 x 21 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Honfleur
Along the River, Beaumont-le-Roger - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Along the River, Beaumont-le-Roger
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Market Place, Rouen - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Market Place, Rouen
Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 18 1/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Rouen
Brittany Evening - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Brittany Evening
Oil on canvas on board
39 x 31 1/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Les Bords de la Risle - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Les Bords de la Risle
Oil on canvas
21 x 27 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
La Risle a Beaumont-le-Roger - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
La Risle a Beaumont-le-Roger
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Sur le Soir - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Sur le Soir
Oil on canvas
32 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Beaumont-le-Roger - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Beaumont-le-Roger
Oil on canvas
32 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
The Risle at Le Riviere Thibouville - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Risle at Le Riviere Thibouville
Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 18 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Diane\'s Cottage, Beaumont-le-Roger - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Diane's Cottage, Beaumont-le-Roger
Oil on canvas
26 x 60 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Cottage at Launay - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage at Launay
Oil on canvas
18 x 21 1/2 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Garden & Meadow, Normandy, Risle Valley - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Garden & Meadow, Normandy, Risle Valley
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
The Charentonne at Serquigny - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Charentonne at Serquigny
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer Garden, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Garden, Normandy
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer Garden - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Garden
Oil on canvas
22 x 18 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Cottage by the River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage by the River
Oil on canvas
21 x 28 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
A Beaumont-le-Roger - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A Beaumont-le-Roger
Oil on canvas
32 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Beaumont-le-Roger
Flowers in Bloom - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Flowers in Bloom
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer Morning - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Morning
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
The Little Mill Near Bec Heloin - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Little Mill Near Bec Heloin
Oil on board
11 x 14 inches
Signed and inscribed Bec Heloin
La Varenne at Martigny - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
La Varenne at Martigny
Oil on board
11 x 14 inches
Signed
Sunlight & Shadow - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Sunlight & Shadow
Oil on canvas
26 x 60 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
A Cote de Riviere - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A Cote de Riviere
Oil on canvas
22 x 18 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
A Bend in the River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
A Bend in the River
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Along the Seine - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Along the Seine
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Diane\'s Cottage - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Diane's Cottage
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Rio St. Aponal, Venice - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Rio St. Aponal, Venice
Oil on canvas
32 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Maisonette a Cote de Riviere - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Maisonette a Cote de Riviere
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Riverside Farm – South Kortright, N.Y. - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Riverside Farm – South Kortright, N.Y.
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer Afternoon, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer Afternoon, Normandy
Oil on canvas
35 x 46 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
La Vieux Lavoir, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
La Vieux Lavoir, Normandy
Oil on canvas
18 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
The Long Cottage - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Long Cottage
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Pont del Angelo, Venice - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Pont del Angelo, Venice
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Summer, Beaumont-le-Roger - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Summer, Beaumont-le-Roger
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Old Mill in Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Old Mill in Normandy
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
The Risle Valley, Normandy - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Risle Valley, Normandy
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Fleur au bord de la Riviere - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Fleur au bord de la Riviere
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
The Winding River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Winding River
Oil on canvas
35 x 45 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
The Walker Cake, Putney - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
The Walker Cake, Putney
Oil on board
10 5/8 x 13 3/4 inches
Signed and inscribed Putney
Cottage by the River - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage by the River
Oil on canvas
32 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Paris
Cottage Garden at Martigny - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Cottage Garden at Martigny
Oil on canvas
26 x 32 inches
Signed and inscribed Beaumont-le-Roger
Market Place, Rouen - Louis Aston Knight
Louis Aston Knight
(1873 - 1948)
Market Place, Rouen
Oil on canvas
32 x 26 inches
Signed and inscribed Rouen