Alfred Smith (1854-1936) Crozant River (creuse, Bordeaux Madeline Alluaud)

Alfred Smith rare oil on canvas signed and located on the back under wood with crozant. Wooden frame and gilded stucco. Alfred Smith, born in Bordeaux on July 30, 1854 and died in Paris 16th on November 3, 1936, is a French post-impressionist painter. His work has sometimes been compared to that of Claude Monet. André Alfred Smith de Sternburg was born in Bordeaux on July 30, 1854. His father was Welsh, naturalized French, and his mother was the daughter of the notary of Saint-Ciers-sur-Gironde. In 1869, his father abandoned the family home and went to seek his fortune in the United States. In 1877 he exhibited his paintings for the first time at the Salon of the Society of Friends of the Arts of Bordeaux, whose catalog indicates that his master was Hippolyte Pradelles. He remained faithful to this salon and exhibited at least one painting every year until his death in 1936. In 1880 Smith participated in the Paris Salon, receiving an honorable mention, and attended the studio of Léonce Chabry. He also became a professor at the Bordeaux School of Fine Arts. In 1883, his painting Le Quai de Bacalan, le Soir was exhibited at the Paris Salon, and he entered the studio of Amédée Baudit. In 1886, the painter Alfred Roll noticed him and helped promote his artistic work. The two men became friends, and Alfred Smith was Roll's executor after his death in 1919. Between 1884 and 1890, Smith began to gain recognition. He received medals at the Salons of Versailles, Nice, the French Artists' Exhibition, and the Paris World's Fair. It was in 1886 that he was able to leave his job, his painting allowing him to live. In 1888, he won an award at the Paris Salon. The same year, he painted the Place de la Concorde Sous La Pluie (The Downpour) and in 1889, he won a bronze medal at the Paris Salon. He would go on to win a bronze medal at the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris. In 1894, he was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor. On December 7, 1899, Alfred Smith married Catherine Philippine Poix in Lyon and in 1901 the couple moved to Paris. In 1912, thanks to his friends Paul Madeline and Eugène Alluaud, Alfred Smith discovered the Creuse Valley. He was captivated by the landscapes; his style changed again and evolved towards Fauvism. He continued to paint the area around Crozant until his death, becoming one of the representatives of the Crozant school. After a visit to Venice he adopted a rather impressionist style and from 1912, he therefore evolved towards Fauvism with the discovery of the Creuse valley and the art of Guillaumin. His wife Catherine died in September 1935, then Alfred Smith died in Paris on November 3, 1936. He is buried in Lyon near his companion. There are several works on Alfred Smith, including: - Alfred Smith A look at modern life published by Somogy. - La Creuse, a valley-studio. Artistic itineraries published by Les Ardents éditeurs where the painting that I am proposing is also cited and therefore dated 1935 and referenced under the no. 1644, see page 175 of the catalog.