William BLACK (20th century) Water Landscape, 1967 Mixed media, gouache, watercolour and ink (pen and wash), signed lower right and titled lower left H. 28.5 cm - L. 19.5 cm (view) DV We have little information on this astonishing artist, but a website [ https://www.williamblack.co.uk/ ] is entirely devoted to him and sheds light on the subject: "Having lived in Cornwall during the second half of the twentieth century....All we know about William Black comes from information provided by his niece after the sale of the works of art she inherited when she left the UK. According to her, William Black was a self-taught artist who, having inherited a sum of money in the 1950s, gave up his profession as an architect and moved to St Ives, just as the avant-garde abstract movement was developing. In Cornwall, he was taught by John Tunnards, who had a profound influence on him. It is highly likely that he associated with other artists of his time, such as Naum Gabo, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Patrick Heron, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and Roger Hilton. His work reflects elements typical of the St Ives School, such as still lifes and landscapes exploring the border between realism and abstraction, with bold, fluid compositions and interesting colour palettes. William Black's work shows a great curiosity about the world around him and a rich inner life, reflected in mythical creatures and rich symbolism. Provenance: a bastide in Aix on the road to Le Tholonet