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Herbert Smith

1811 — 1870, from United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Herbert Smith (1811-1870) was a British Victorian-era painter whose measured compositions and decorative sensibility reflected 19th-century British artistic traditions.

Princess Marianne of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1788–1794)

Princess Marianne of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1788–1794)

Collection

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Museum-quality reproductions on 310gsm textured cotton rag paper.

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Artistic Style

Style Evolution

Working within the Victorian-era British tradition, Herbert Smith's style remained rooted in representational, decorative painting. Over his career he adhered to the conventions and tastes of mid-19th-century Britain, producing works suited to domestic interiors and collectors favoring polished, quietly atmospheric compositions.

Palette

  • muted earth tones
  • warm browns and ochres
  • subtle tonal contrasts appropriate for interior display

Subjects

  • genre and domestic scenes (typical of Victorian painters)
  • landscape and topographical views
  • figuration and portraiture elements

Techniques

  • measured, representational brushwork
  • attention to decorative composition
  • polished surface finish common to Victorian painting

Topics

VictorianBritish painting19th centuryrepresentationallandscapegenredecorative art

Herbert Smith (1811-1870) was a British Victorian-era painter whose measured compositions and decorative sensibility reflected 19th-century British artistic traditions.

Learn about the life of Herbert Smith

1811

Born in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

1830

Active as a painter in the early 19th century (recorded career activity in the Victorian era)

1845

Established as a practicing painter within the mid-19th century British art scene

1855

Continued professional activity during the Victorian period (mid-career)

1865

Late-career activity continuing in the 19th century

1870

Died, ending his active contribution to 19th-century British painting

1900

Posthumous interest in Victorian painters, including lesser-documented artists like Smith

Signature Works

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Biography

Herbert Smith (1811-1870) was a British Victorian-era painter whose work reflected 19th-century British artistic traditions and decorative appeal for collectors and interiors. (Note: only basic biographical data is documented.)

Herbert Smith (1811-1870) was a British Victorian-era painter whose work reflected 19th-century British artistic traditions and decorative appeal for collectors and interiors. (Note: only basic biographical data is documented.)

Herbert Smith (1811-1870) was a British Victorian-era painter whose work reflected 19th-century British artistic traditions and decorative appeal for collectors and interiors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Herbert Smith's most famous paintings?+
Herbert Smith (1811–1870) is a lesser-documented British Victorian painter. There is limited publicly accessible documentation of specific titled works that are widely recognized as his 'most famous.' For buyers and researchers, surviving signed works attributed to Smith (when available) are of most
What is Herbert Smith's style?+
Herbert Smith worked within the 19th-century British (Victorian) representational tradition. His paintings emphasize clear composition, careful draftsmanship, and decorative qualities that suit domestic interiors. He favored measured brushwork and tonal harmony over the radical experimentation seen,
What made Herbert Smith unique?+
Smith's uniqueness lies in his position as a Victorian-era practitioner whose work reflects the restrained decorative sensibility of mid-19th-century Britain. Collectors value such artists for authentic period atmosphere, craftsmanship, and the ability of these works to complement historic and
What are three of Herbert Smith's masterpieces?+
Specific widely recognized 'masterpieces' by Herbert Smith are not well-documented in major public records. When considering acquisitions, collectors should look for securely attributed, signed works or provenance documentation. Specialist dealers and auction records (when available) are the
What movement was Herbert Smith part of?+
Herbert Smith is best understood within the broad context of 19th-century British Victorian painting. This encompasses a range of representational practices—genre, landscape, and portraiture—favored by British patrons and the art market in the Victorian era rather than a single avant-garde movement.
What influenced Herbert Smith?+
Specific teachers, mentors, or direct influences for Herbert Smith are not well documented in accessible public records. More generally, Victorian British painters were influenced by academic training, the market for domestic decoration, local landscape traditions, and the tastes of middle-