Morahan, who starred in the movie Summer in February with Dan Stevens and Dominic Cooper, formally opened the annual event at the Royal College of Art in Kensington and said she was “enormously excited” to have been invited.
The film, which is released on DVD next month, depicted the life of artist Alfred Munnings – whose work is also in the fair – and a group of artists in Cornwall including Knight.
“Making the film only added to my enthusiasm for and curiosity about the huge scope of 20th century British art so I couldn’t wait to see the works exhibited,” she said – before dashing to the West End to play Nora in A Doll’s House.
Organisers claim exhibitions on British artists including Knight, Jacob Epstein, Patrick Caulfield and LS Lowry at galleries including the National Portrait and Tate showed the strength of interest in them.
The 20/21 British Art Fair runs until Sunday September 15, £9, britishartfair.co.uk
