Artwork by Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith,  Sledding

F.M. Bell-Smith
Sledding

watercolour
signed and dated 1879 lower left
5.75 x 9.5 ins ( 14.6 x 24.1 cms )

Auction Estimate: $6,000.00$4,000.00 - $6,000.00

Price Realized $20,400.00
Sale date: December 1st 2022

Provenance:
Private Collection
Though born in London, England, Frederic Marlett Bell–Smith immigrated to Montreal in his twenties before settling in Ontario in 1871. At the time that this work was created, the artist was residing in Hamilton, however he also spent time in Toronto and London. Trained at the South Kensington School of Art and in Paris under Courtois, Dupain and T.A. Harrison, Bell–Smith’s style oscillated between a more conservative inclination and a looser, more vibrant aesthetic. While the artist’s favoured medium was watercolour, he began to work in oil two years before this work was created.

Bell–Smith advocated for a distinctly Canadian style and believed that it would rival the masterworks of Europe. Perhaps taking inspiration from his father, a portrait and miniature artist, Bell–Smith captures one of Canada’s favourite winter pastimes in this playful and diminutive picture. The child and his little red sled take centre stage. Bell–Smith masterfully focuses the viewer’s attention on the central group surveying the hill through the vibrant clothing they wear which contrasts with the muted blues and greys of the slope and vista beyond. As an article of historical documentation, the picture gives insight into the winter fashions of the time. On closer inspection, sledders materialize on the hill behind the group and contribute to the impression of a jovial winter day outing.

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Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith
(1846 - 1923) OSA RCA

Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith (1846-1923) was born in London, England and died in Toronto, Ontario. His earliest training was under his artist father. He attended the South Kensington School of Art under Alexander Hamilton until his family emigrated to Montreal, Quebec in 1867. Later, he studied in Paris at the Academie Colarossi under Joseph-Paul Blanc, Gustave Courtois, and Edmond-Louis Dupain. The artist arrived in London, Ontario in 1881 where he was appointed Art Director of Alma College (St.Thomas) and, the following year, Drawing Master at Central Public School. In 1888 he moved to Toronto where he was named principal of the western branch of the Toronto Art School. He continued to serve at Alma College until 1901. Bell-Smith was a founding member of the Society of Canadian Artists, the Ontario Society of Artists, and the Western Art League. He was elected an Academician in the Royal Canadian Academy and played important roles in many local and national artistic associations. His work was very popular in his lifetime: he painted portrait, genre, and landscape subjects in both oil and watercolour in the impressionistic, picturesque, and sublime styles of the last century. Bell-Smith also won many international honors in his career.