School’s Out, 1885 by Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith

Provenance:
Kaspar Gallery, Toronto, circa 1987
Private Collection, Italy
Masters Gallery, Calgary as “Winter Street”, 1885
Private Collection, Vancouver
A.K. Prakash & Associates, Inc., Toronto as “The Return from School”, 1885
Acquired by the present Private Collection, March 2019

Exhibited:
“The Joint Annual Exhibition of the R.C.A. and the O.S.A.”, Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Toronto, 14 May 1885, no. 316 as After a Snowstorm
“Our Children: Reflections of Childhood in Historical Canadian Art”, Varley Art Gallery of Markham, 13 April‒23 June 2019 as “School's Out”, 1885

Frederic Marlett Bell–Smith was born in London, England in 1846. Following artistic training in London and Paris, the artist arrived in Montreal in 1867, where he first worked as a photographer. He became active in local art circles, and helped his father in founding the Society of Canadian Artists in 1867. He lived mainly in Montreal until 1871, when he got married and moved to Hamilton. He was later an art teacher in London (1881-8); Art Director of Alma College in St. Thomas, Ontario (1881-90) and then Director at the Toronto Art School in 1889.

Bell–Smith alternated between a traditional, academic approach and a looser, more vibrant aesthetic in his work. The artist’s preferred medium was watercolour, which he mastered in this charming work “School's Out”. He advocated for a distinctly Canadian style and believed that it would rival European masterpieces. Perhaps taking inspiration from his father, a portrait and miniature artist, Bell–Smith captures one of Canada’s classic winter activities in this detailed and playful street scene after a recent snowfall. On the left side of the picture, three young girls walk together on the sidewalk in stylish winter dress. As an article of historical documentation, the picture gives insight into the winter fashions of the time. In front of the girls are two boys preparing to throw snowballs at their friends in the middle of the street. The individual footprints on the ground and the light dusting of snow across the tree branches demonstrate Bell-Smith’s great attention to detail.