Original Oil on Canvas 'the Formula 1 Helmet' by Dennis Knowland. 1918-1987. Framed in Original Eh. Frame. Signed and Dated 1966. Provenance; Mary Knowland

Great quality oil painting of an F1 racing helmet. While I have been unable to match the helmet to a driver, the Decal on the side of the helmet is similar to the one that Graham Hill was using in 1966. A rare period oil painting of an F1 subject. Dennis Knowland painted from a very early age and when he was 16 he met and was befriended by the Royal Academician, R O Dunlop. (1894-1973). In the mid 1930’s he spent a year at the Chelsea school of art where he was taught by Graham Sutherland and Robert Medley, winning a prize for Landscape painting. He first showed at the London Group and at the outbreak of war was earning his living in the advertising industry. At this time he also worked on book illustration and ‘Bevis at home’ by Richard Jeffries was one of the published books he worked on. During the war he was stationed in Scotland and met Anne Redpath (1895-1965) who invited him to her studio and encouraged him to take up painting again. After the war he obtained a Government grant to continue his studies and won a place at Camberwell school of art where his style developed. He was taught by many of the great names of the period, including Sir William Coldstream (1908-1987) , Sir Lawrence Gowing 1918-1991) and Claude Rogers 1907-1979). After leaving Camberwell he worked as an art examiner in Oxfordshire, retiring in the early 1970s. He continued to paint until his death and a memorial exhibition was held in Oxford in 1987. He was married to Irma, a costume designer and book illustrator and their daughter Mary continues the family tradition as a Potter and fine painter.