Knight, Dame Laura (1877-1970), was a British artist noted for her paintings of the ballet, the circus, and Romani (Gypsy) life. Her original, lively style of painting and brilliant use of color give her pictures great force. Knight also painted portraits and water-color landscapes, produced etchings, and designed stained glass windows.
Laura Knight was born on Aug. 4, 1877, in Long Eaton, Derbyshire. Her original name was Laura Johnson. She married the British painter Harold Knight in 1903, and they often exhibited their work together. Knight studied painting at the Nottingham School of Art starting in 1889. She had her first picture accepted by the Royal Academy in 1903. In 1929, she was made a Dame of the British Empire, and, in 1936, became the first woman Royal Academician in more than 100 years. Her autobiography, Oil Paint and Grease Paint, was published in 1936. She died on July 7, 1970.
