George Smith is a well-known landscape painter in 18th century England. He is known as George Smith of Chichester. Together with his equally artistically active brothers he forms the "Smiths of Chichester". He is considered the most talented of the Smith brothers. His development as a visual artist began with portrait painting. Later he devoted himself increasingly to landscape painting. Still lifes and domestic or rural scenes in the countryside are also among his preferred motifs. Besides painting, George Smith played the cello and wrote poems.
He finds his inspiration in the lovely landscape of the southern English county of Sussex, around the city of Brighton, which he depicts in a highly idealized way. He draws on the tradition of Claude Lorrain, which in the 17th century used landscape painting as background and atmospheric structure for the depiction of mythological figures or biblical themes. Another influence is the work Nicolas Poussins, which embeds stories of ancient mythology in his landscape painting. Entirely in keeping with his models, Smith idealizes the rural idyll of southern England, which seems to appeal to contemporary audiences. His works are often photographed by engravers and thus made accessible to a wider public.
A popular series of engravings bears the fitting title "Picturesque Scenery of England and Wales". Smith's works are taken up by William Woollett, among others, whose artistically high-quality engravings are highly regarded in England. Amongst others, he made an engraving of "The Apple Gatherers", which, typical of George Smith's works, shows a picturesque landscape in which a man is embedded with his wife and child picking apples. George Smith takes up a similar theme in "The Hop Pickers". Interesting are his still lifes, which classically revolve around food ("Still Life with Bread, Cheese and Beer"), but also take up pets like cats and dogs as motifs. "Ham, cheese, eggs, lemons, with a captured mouse" shows a cat presenting its prey among the food. George Smith of Chichester's works can be seen today at the Yale Center for British Art in the USA, Goodwood House in Sussex, the Tate Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
George Smith is a well-known landscape painter in 18th century England. He is known as George Smith of Chichester. Together with his equally artistically active brothers he forms the "Smiths of Chichester". He is considered the most talented of the Smith brothers. His development as a visual artist began with portrait painting. Later he devoted himself increasingly to landscape painting. Still lifes and domestic or rural scenes in the countryside are also among his preferred motifs. Besides painting, George Smith played the cello and wrote poems.
He finds his inspiration in the lovely landscape of the southern English county of Sussex, around the city of Brighton, which he depicts in a highly idealized way. He draws on the tradition of Claude Lorrain, which in the 17th century used landscape painting as background and atmospheric structure for the depiction of mythological figures or biblical themes. Another influence is the work Nicolas Poussins, which embeds stories of ancient mythology in his landscape painting. Entirely in keeping with his models, Smith idealizes the rural idyll of southern England, which seems to appeal to contemporary audiences. His works are often photographed by engravers and thus made accessible to a wider public.
A popular series of engravings bears the fitting title "Picturesque Scenery of England and Wales". Smith's works are taken up by William Woollett, among others, whose artistically high-quality engravings are highly regarded in England. Amongst others, he made an engraving of "The Apple Gatherers", which, typical of George Smith's works, shows a picturesque landscape in which a man is embedded with his wife and child picking apples. George Smith takes up a similar theme in "The Hop Pickers". Interesting are his still lifes, which classically revolve around food ("Still Life with Bread, Cheese and Beer"), but also take up pets like cats and dogs as motifs. "Ham, cheese, eggs, lemons, with a captured mouse" shows a cat presenting its prey among the food. George Smith of Chichester's works can be seen today at the Yale Center for British Art in the USA, Goodwood House in Sussex, the Tate Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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