Daniel Ridgway Knight (American, 1839–1924). <em>The Well</em>, 1880. Oil on canvas, 39 5/16 x 28 15/16 in. (99.9 x 73.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William E. S. Griswold, 41.980.62 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 41.980.62_SL1.jpg)

Daniel Ridgway Knight (American, 1839–1924). The Well, 1880. Oil on canvas, 39 5/16 x 28 15/16 in. (99.9 x 73.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William E. S. Griswold, 41.980.62 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 41.980.62_SL1.jpg)

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What is this?

It's titled "The Well," and the artist is the American painter Daniel Ridgway Knight!

Knight was American but he spent most of his career living and working in and around Paris.

It reminds me of Bougereau.

That's a good comparison! I can see what you mean. They both worked in an academic style (with traditional training), and they both painted peasants and other country "types," but in a somewhat idealized way.

Knight had a country home outside Paris, and he built a small outdoor studio that was almost like a greenhouse. It was all glassed in, so that he could work "outside" most of the year!

Can you tell me about this?

This work is titled "The Well" and the artist is American painter Daniel Ridgway Knight. Peasant life was a popular subject in French painting of the time, and the artist studied in France!

These peasants were often portrayed in a kind of idealized way. Another fun fact: this artist actually had a country home outside Paris with an outdoor studio that was all glassed in so he could work "outside" most of the year.

That's hilarious!

Who painted this?

This is "The Well" by Daniel Ridgway Knight. It was painted 1880.

Knight was American but he spent most of his career living and working in and around Paris. He had a country home outside Paris, and he built a small outdoor studio that was almost like a greenhouse. It was all glassed in, so that he could work "outside" most of the year!

The Well

Daniel Ridgway Knight

American Art

Like many Americans of his generation, Daniel Ridgway Knight sought his academic training in Paris, where he remained as an expatriate from 1873. The Well, which is typical of the sentimentalized peasant subjects that occupied French-trained Americans and pleased their audiences at home, demonstrates the detailed character of Knight’s early work. In keeping with the rigorous French academic method, he executed extensive preparatory subjects prior to undertaking the finished painting. After completing numerous delicate preliminary drawings, Knight transcribed the drawing to his canvas, carefully plotting the compositional lines and fine details that he would follow precisely with his brush. This “underdrawing,” beneath the paint layer, is visible with the use of infrared photography.

ARTIST Daniel Ridgway Knight, American, 1839–1924

MEDIUM Oil on canvas

DATES 1880

DIMENSIONS 39 5/16 x 28 15/16 in. (99.9 x 73.5 cm) (show scale)

SIGNATURE Signed lower left: "D. Ridgway Knight· / Paris 1880"

COLLECTIONS American Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 41.980.62

CREDIT LINE Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William E. S. Griswold

EXHIBITIONS

First in Line: Preparatory Drawings for Paintings in the Collection

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Daniel Ridgway Knight (American, 1839–1924). The Well, 1880. Oil on canvas, 39 5/16 x 28 15/16 in. (99.9 x 73.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William E. S. Griswold, 41.980.62 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 41.980.62_SL1.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 41.980.62_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

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