1809 - 1874

Factsheet

  • Museums on this site: National Portrait Gallery
  • Copyright status: Public domain
  • Lifespan: 65 years
  • Top 3 works: Rowland Hill
  • Also known as: Samuel Smith
  • Nationality: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

A British Genre Painter in the Nineteenth Century

The brush of Samuel Mountjoy Smith moves through the landscape of 19th-century British art, capturing the quietude of a bygone era. Born in 1809, his career flourished between 1823 and 1876, a period defined by a shift in how the English public perceived the human figure within its natural surroundings. He was a painter of scenes, focusing on the genre traditions that sought to find meaning in the everyday and the pastoral.

His work often finds its focus in the interaction between people and the environment. In Figures on the shores of a mountain lake, the composition draws the eye toward the stillness of the water and the presence of those gathered at its edge. This ability to place subjects within a specific, atmospheric setting remains a defining characteristic of his output. His paintings are not merely studies of light, but records of a specific social and natural reality.

Legacy and Provenance

The survival of Smith's work is marked by its presence in significant collections and its movement through the auction houses of London. His paintings have transitioned from private hands to public scrutiny, with pieces such as his portrait of Rowland Hill finding a permanent home in the National Portrait Gallery, London. This placement ensures that his contribution to British portraiture and genre painting remains part of the historical record.

The market for his work reflects the enduring interest in 19th-century British genre painting. His pieces have appeared at auction houses like Bonhams Knightsbridge, with values reflecting the historical weight of his subject matter. While some works exist only on paper, his larger paintings continue to be sought after by collectors of British art. He died in 1874, leaving behind a body of work that captures the essence of a century in transition.

Pitanja i odgovori

Na koje periode je podeljena karijera umetnika Samuel Mountjoy Smith?

Hronika umetnika Samuel Mountjoy Smith predstavlja hronološku vremensku liniju koja se pomera uz skrolovanje i prikazuje dela umetnika po hronološkom redu, grupisana u poglavlja prema periodima stvaralaštva.

U kom istorijskom periodu je stvarao/la Samuel Mountjoy Smith?

Samuel Mountjoy Smith je radila u periodu 19th Century. Ovaj period smešta umetnikov rad u istorijski kontekst.

Gde mogu da vidim dela umetnika Samuel Mountjoy Smith u 3D galeriji?

Radove umetnika Samuel Mountjoy Smith možete pogledati u 3D galeriji na stranici 3D galerija umetnika.

Gde mogu da vidim dela umetnika Samuel Mountjoy Smith poređana hronološkim redom?

Dostupna je hronologija dela umetnika Samuel Mountjoy Smith: na stranici Hronologija dela, umetnikova dela su poređana prema datumu nastanka.

Self-test

Svako pitanje ima samo jedan tačan odgovor.

Pitanje 1:
In which century was Samuel Mountjoy Smith active?
Pitanje 2:
What was the subject of one of Samuel Mountjoy Smith's paintings?
Pitanje 3:
According to the auction data, what was the record auction price for one of his paintings?
Pitanje 4:
What type of artist was Samuel Mountjoy Smith?
Pitanje 5:
In what year was Samuel Mountjoy Smith born?