East View of Margate Pier from Cliff
East View of Margate Pier from Cliff
. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1796 and 1811, mainly portraits but also views of Reculver, Margate Pier and Brighton. In 1806 he emigrated to the USA and set up successful drawing schools in Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Topographical watercolours by him are in the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum, New York and the National Gallery of Art, Washington. A panorama of Margate Harbour by Smith dated 1803 was with Martyn Gregory (see Huon Mallalieu, The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists up to 1920, 1979, vol. II, p.512, ill.) and a panorama of Ramsgate was with Guy Peppiatt Fine Art (summer catalogue 2011, no.26).){kind=link}
JOHN RUBENS SMITH
London 1775-1849 New York
East View of Margate Pier from Cliff
Inscribed with the title on part of original mount
Watercolour over pencil on two sheets of paper joined
213 x 321 mm., 8 ¼ x 12 ½ in.
This is a view looking west across Margate Harbour from the site of the new Turner Contemporary Museum. The towers of Reculver church are visible on the distance.
Smith was born in London, the son of the portraitist and engraver John Raphael Smith (1752-1812). He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1796 and 1811, mainly portraits but also views of Reculver, Margate Pier and Brighton. In 1806 he emigrated to the USA and set up successful drawing schools in Boston, New York and Philadelphia.
Topographical watercolours by him are in the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum, New York and the National Gallery of Art, Washington. A panorama of Margate Harbour by Smith dated 1803 was with Martyn Gregory (see Huon Mallalieu, The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists up to 1920, 1979, vol. II, p.512, ill.) and a panorama of Ramsgate was with Guy Peppiatt Fine Art (summer catalogue 2011, no.26).