STEFAN KNAPP (1921-1996)
The Sentinels
signed Knapp (lower right)
ink and gouache on paper
156 x 74.4 cm (61 1/2 x 29 1/4 in)
PROVENANCE:
Acquired from the artist by the present owner

Knapp became internationally renowned for his monumental urban works of vibrant colours and ambitious scale. He patented a technique of painting with enamel on steel which he used to decorate the facades of public architecture. He was known for producing murals of unprecedented size and his mural for the Alexander Corporation in New Jersey from 1960 was the largest ever created measuring 200 x 50 feet.

Born in Poland, Knapp was imprisoned at the age of eighteen for two years in a Siberian gulag. During the Second World War he was an RAF pilot and after the war he remained in London where he furthered his studies at the Royal Academy and at the Slade School of Fine Art.

The following lots showcase the artist’s expressionist compositions, vibrant in colours and resonating with vitality.