Winifred Knights
The Deluge 1920
Oil paint on canvas
Support: 1529 x 1835 mm
Frame: 1630 x 1930 x 55 mm
Tate T05532
漏 The estate of Winifred Knights
Photo 漏聽Tate
The Deluge 1920 by Winifred Knights
Fresh research into Knights鈥檚 dramatic depiction of the biblical flood charts its relationship to religion, conflict, dance and gender, and suggests new art historical sources for the聽painting.
Winifred Knights painted The Deluge in 1920 as a competition entry for the prestigious Rome Prize for Decorative Painting offered to young students at the Slade School of Art, London. She was the first woman to win the prize for her classically influenced yet highly modern depiction of the biblical flood聽narrative.
This In Focus gives an account of the painting鈥檚 making and reception, examining it as a product of a collective post-First World War response to death and suffering. It discusses the depicted figures in light of Knights鈥檚 interest in modern dance and bodily movement, examines it as an example of the decorative style in painting that was favoured by Knights and her Slade circle, and ties its production and meanings closer to theological perspectives prevalent at the聽time.
Published in March 2017, the project is authored by Dr Ayla Lepine (University of Essex) and includes a contribution from the Rev Dr Maggi Dawn (Yale Divinity聽School).
滨厂叠狈听978-1-84976-537-4