Knight was a Bristol-based artist, who made it down to Cornwall before the rail link was completed in 1859 and is one of the very few artists who painted in St Ives prior to this date.  Born in Bristol, he went to sea before studying at Bristol Academy, where he was later elected a member.  He enjoyed a distinguished career, exhibiting 34 works at the Royal Academy between 1857-1895 and is represented in several public collections.  He was an early and regular visitor to West Cornwall, and showed watercolours of St Michael’s Mount at the Bristol Academy in 1852 and Coasters off St Ives in 1854, whilst his 1862 contributions included an oil of Hayle Harbour priced at £60.  His exhibits at the Royal Academy included a number of Cornish scenes, particularly of Falmouth, and his 1873 submission, A West Cornwall Moor, has recently come on to the market.  Whilst this did not arouse much interest, as it lacks a focal point, it confirms that he was one of the first artists to be interested in the moorland scenery around St Ives.  A St Ives scene was included in the Bristol Academy loan show in 1878, and his last exhibit there in 1896 was After a three day gale at Zennor, West Cornwall.  The Victoria Art Gallery, Bath has a Falmouth scene by Knight in its collection. [Information provided by David Tovey, with thanks]