Zebra: Loose Leaf Painting 4 by David Holt (1990)

A light, original semi-abstract painting in a bespoke frame

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Printing Details

Painted in 1990, this is an original oil in canvas in a bespoke frame, coloured by the artist to complement the painting. The whole measures 44.5 × 34cm, and the painting measures 25 × 36cm.

A vibrant, semi-abstract composition by David Holt, featuring the stylized form of a zebra set against a luminous pastel backdrop. To the upper register, a bold red and blue roundel adds a geometric focal point, while the faint, ethereal outline of a sailing boat drifts between the central figure and the motif. The canvas is finished with a hand-painted pink border, utilizing a distinctive blowpipe technique that lends a soft, diffused texture to the work—an experimental touch that extends slightly onto the inner frame, integrating the artwork with its housing.

Signed and titled to the reverse.

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

Good condition. There is some dark spotting towards the bottom of the painting, quite noticeable when viewed closely but when at a slight distance it merges with the canvas colours. The frame is in good order, though with a little marking to the top edge.

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