John Prescott Knight (British, 1803-1881), "The Late Charles Dixon", oil on canvas, unsigned, handwritten label en verso inscribed with the sitter's identity, the artist and his address at "20 James Street, Buckingham Palace", 68-1/4" x 40-3/4". Presented in an elaborate giltwood frame. Exhibited: The Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1859, entry number 39. Published: Graves, Algernon. The Royal Academy of Arts: A Complete Dictionary of Contributors,, vol. 4. London. John Prescott Knight was a prolific portrait artist, who had a distinguished career with the Royal Academy in London, painting portraits of the British aristocracy. In 1823, he entered the school after apprenticeships with George Clint and Henry Sass. He went on to specialize in portraiture,making his debut in 1824 with subsequent works being exhibited in 1828 at the British Institute. In 1836 and 1844, respectively, he was appointed Associate and Academician of the Royal Academy, followed by a Professorship from 1848-1873 in Perspective. He also served as the Secretary of the Academy for twenty-six years, before he retired in 1873 with a life pension from the trustees. The portrait offered here of Esquire Charles Dixon reflects Knight's mature style, characterized by near life-size portraits in three-quarter or frontal poses with finely delineated facial features centered by bold forms set against sparsely decorated tertiary backdrops, which the London Art Journal declared in its review of the painting to be a "great production of reality and power" when it was exhibited in 1839 at the Royal Academy. Charles Dixon, like many of Knight's sitters, exuded the same mien as his portrait. Dixon was a wealthy London merchant and philanthropist, who founded Stansted College in Sussex for his less fortunate retired brethren with limited means. Reference: "The Royal Academy Art Exhibition". London Art Journal. June 1, 1859, p. 163.