Victorian Angling Fishing Oil Painting Pike Fish Caught by Gaff Pole Signed Arthur Roland Knight C1890

Details

Description

1890s Arthur Roland Knight British Sporting Oil Painting of a Northern Pike

Signed Victorian Angling Scene in a Gilt Frame … Read more 1890s Arthur Roland Knight British Sporting Oil Painting of a Northern Pike

Signed Victorian Angling Scene in a Gilt Frame With Documented Duke’s Provenance

Highlights

Arthur Roland Knight (1845–1914).
British School, circa 1890.
Signed oil on canvas.
Northern pike depicted being landed with a gaff.
Atmospheric riverbank with reeds, woodland and distant landscape.
Characteristic example of Knight’s specialist angling subjects.
Professionally relined.
Decorative period gilt frame.
Documented Duke’s Auctioneers provenance.
Duke’s Sporting and Natural History, 26 February 2025, Lot 117.
Historic auction title: “Study of a Pike and Gaff”.
Subsequently exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire.

Introduction

A wonderfully atmospheric Victorian sporting painting by Arthur Roland Knight (1845–1914), depicting the dramatic landing of a northern pike.

Dating to circa 1890, this compact signed oil combines the excitement of British angling with a beautifully observed river landscape.

The painting is particularly decorative within its substantial gilt frame and would make an evocative addition to a study, library, country house interior, sporting collection or curated gallery wall.

Catalogue Note

A large pike rises dramatically through the dark river towards a gaff entering from the right.

Knight uses the fish’s elongated form to create a powerful diagonal across the foreground, while its illuminated flank and characteristic markings contrast with the darker water.

Ripples surrounding the fish communicate the movement of the catch.

Behind this immediate sporting drama lies a tranquil landscape of tall golden reeds, dense vegetation and distant countryside.

The contrast between the quiet landscape and the sudden movement of the fish gives the work considerable atmosphere.

The Artist — Arthur Roland Knight

Arthur Roland Knight (1845–1914) was a British painter particularly associated with freshwater fish and angling subjects.

His paintings frequently depict pike, trout and other freshwater species within atmospheric natural environments, placing his work within the specialist tradition of Victorian British sporting art.

Knight’s distinctive subject matter continues to appeal to collectors of sporting art, historic angling material and traditional British interiors.

Provenance

Private collection, Southern England.

Duke’s Auctioneers, Dorset, Sporting and Natural History, 26 February 2025, Lot 117, catalogued as “Study of a Pike and Gaff”.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Exhibition History

Privately loaned & Exhibited with the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire.

The Duke’s Lot 117 identification label remains with the painting.
*Dimensions**

Approximately 29 cm high x 34 cm wide x 3.5 cm deep overall including frame.



Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution

The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.


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