Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith (Canadian 1846-1923)
Victoria Harbour
oil on canvas laid on board, signed lower left "FMBS" Provenance: The Art Emporium, Vancouver BC
Size: 7 ¾ x 12 ¼ in (with frame 14 ½ x 18 ¼ in)
J20109
Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith is one of Canada’s best known early historical painters. A member of the Railroad Painters, he was hired by the Canadian Pacific Railway to record the construction of the railroad through the Rocky Mountains. His first excursion through the Rockies on the newly built CPR in 1887 marked a notable change in his subject matter, as he strived to capture the sublime beauty and boldness of the rugged Canadian scenery. In painting these untamed landscapes he excelled at capturing the atmospheric effects created by the vast mist, endless lakes and cascading mountains that distinctly identified Canada in its early stages as a nation. He subsequently made regular visits across the country, intermittent with travels to Paris, England and Holland in the 1890’s. By now a well established artist, he worked mainly in watercolour but also in oil, and his skills are exemplified in the detail found in all of his pieces from small to large scale. Each painting is delicate and refined, and treated with a distinctly charming composition.
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