Background
Smith was born in Bordeaux in 1854 to a family of English origin.
Smith was born in Bordeaux in 1854 to a family of English origin.
Smith studied with Hippolyte Pradelles (1876), Léonce Chabry (1880) and Amadeus Baudit (1884).
Some of his works resemble the early works of Claude Monet. He joined a circle of local landscape artists who followed Courbet and Corot. The distinguished artist Alfred Philippe Roll noticed Smith and helped to promote his work.
He exhibited in the Salon in Paris in 1880, earning an honorable mention.
In 1883 his painting Le quai de Bacalan le soir was exhibited at the Salon. In the 1880s he became the new leader of the Bordeaux school, displacing Louis Auguin.
However, with no need to earn a living he did not fully devote himself to painting until 1886. In 1888 he was given a third class medal at the Salon, and in 1889 a bronze medal.
Smith was distinguished for the atmospheric evocation of the woods, gardens and cityscapes, with a subtle and nuanced palette.
He painted scenes from Bordeaux, Paris and Venice before discovering the Creuse valley. As Smith"s style matured he adapted a brighter palette, displayed in his landscapes of the Creuse valley. He died in Bordeaux in 1932.
He has been called a member of the Crozant School, a broad collection of artists who painted nature around this village of the Creuse valley.