Overview

Matthew Smith (1879-1959) was one of the most well-known British painters in the first half of the twentieth century. He trained at the Slade School before moving to France in 1908, where he attended the Atelier Matisse. He spent much of his time working in France between the wars, as well as an extensive period in Cornwall. Initially influenced by Fauvist painting, he evolved a richly intuitive and painterly style. Employing an alla prima technique, he painted thickly and fluently - his combination of sensual form and colour, particularly in his nudes, has been likened to the work of Delacroix. This volume provides, for the first time, a complete catalogue of the oil paintings by Matthew Smith from 1905 to 1957 together with a substantial critical reappraisal of the artist's work. Gledhill situates the artist in the context of modernism and his Bloomsbury peers and the London Group. Provenance, exhibition catalogues and literature are brought together in extensively researched entries, and the majority of the paintings are illustrated. Four colour plate sections showcase the glowing colours and textures that typified Smith's work.

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9780853319986

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Reviews

'a substantial contribution to the literature on Smith ... Gledhill's book, with its revisionist view of Smith as an expressionist-formalist and its commanding catalogue, is very welcome. Its factual and interpretative matter would be an excellent guide to any such retrospective in the future'. The Burlington Magazine 'This is the first comprehensive catalogue of his paintings and is an essential resource for anyone interested in Smith's long and distinguished career'. Arlis

Author Information

John Gledhill is a practising painter and printmaker who has had a long-term appreciation of the work of Matthew Smith. He studied the work of Smith for a D.Phil in the History of Art at the University of York. This catalogue raisonne has been developed from his thesis.

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