Rockchange : Castlerigg by David Holt (1996)
An original atmospheric oil study of the Neolithic stone circle near Keswick, Cumbria
Author
Publisher
Printing Details
Painted in September 1996, this is an oil on canvas in a bespoke wooden frame (it is not glazed). The frame has been hand-painted in colours to complement the painting, with a pinkish edge, an off-white facing edge, and the base is black giving the impression of the painting floating in the frame. The frame measures 62 × 52.5cm and the painting is 55.5 × 45cm.
A work of immense spiritual and geological energy, Rockchange: Castlerigg is David Holt's powerful homage to one of the Lake District's most sacred sites. Inspired by a place of deep personal importance to the artist, the painting captures the ancient stone circle not as a ruin, but as a living force. The stones seem to vibrate and meld with the raw volcanic geology of the Cumbrian fells, set against a sky that is vast, dark, and brooding. It is a masterful study of the 'spirit of place,' where the boundary between the hand of man and the heart of the mountain begins to dissolve.
Signed, dated and titled to the reverse, with a printed note that this was exhibited by the Folkestone Art Trust in 2013.
Provenance: This painting comes directly from the artist's estate, and the work is offered with full provenance.
David Holt (1928–2014). Born in Hythe, Kent. Painter and Lecturer in Art. After National Service, he trained at the Canterbury School of Art, the Hammersmith School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools where he was awarded a medal for drawing and the Knapping Prize. He joined a studio-workshop with Gerald Holtom (designer of the CND symbol) in 1958 where he designed and produced proscenium curtains for schools. In 1958 he was awarded a Harkness Fellowship and travelled across America, producing many drawings and prints of the Pueblo Indians and their life-dance in Santa Fe in New Mexico, where he also worked with artist Agnes Sims. He returned to England in 1960 and continued to paint and work on large textile appliques for schools, churches, and private houses including Spade House in Kent, the former home of H G Wells.
He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1962, and in 1964 was commissioned to design and make a large textile applique 'Christ in Majesty' which still hangs in the chapel of Christ Church College in Canterbury.
He was Head of Art at Canterbury Christ Church University until his retirement in 1995. He exhibited widely in the UK and the States and worked with many art societies and summer schools across East Kent.
His work can be found in both private and public collections throughout the UK and America, including the Yale Centre for British Art. His painting "Coastal Watcher" was recently used for the dustwrapper on Modernism and Memory: Rhoda Pritzker and the Art of Collecting (Yale University Press, 2016).
Condition
The painting is in very good condition, the frame has a few minor chips but remains in good order.
Due to weight and size, postage is restricted to the UK though I am happy to investigate overseas mailing. Collection is available from Hythe, Kent (CT21). Please give at least 24 hours notice. [Location: Store].
Books are currently zero-rated for duty (as of January 2026), so the price shown is the price you pay.
Price
£180.00
