Sir Matthew Smith (1879-1959).
Ran away to France to discover inspiration from artists like Matisse. Served in the first World War and afterwards had a period of inspiration which led to a fruitful period painting nudes and landscapes in England and France. Returned to England in 1940 and met Mary Keene who became his favourite model - he also painted a series of large still lifes in the 1950's. Francis Bacon acknowledged him as an influence. With the work of the colorists like Smith and Peploe coming back into fashion we hope to see more of their work on display over the coming years. 1000 paintings, sketches and drawings by Smith were presented to the Guildhall art Gallery by Mary Keene. Only a handful are on display.
