Matthew Smith: Through the eyes of Patrick Heron

1 May 2025-13 Oct 2024

Matthew Smith, Cornish Landscape II, Oil on Canvas, 1920, courtesy of Offer Waterman. Copyright The Estate of Sir Matthew Smith.

Overview

Experience the trailblazing work of English painter Matthew Smith through the eyes of fellow colourist Patrick Heron.

For the first time, this exhibition examines the profound influence of Smith’s dynamic use of colour on Heron’s expressive canvases. Displayed side by side, journey into the shared palettes and creative legacy of two of the 20th century’s most important colourists.

Matthew Smith, a contemporary and friend of the Bloomsbury group, crafted luminous landscapes, portraits and still lifes with a rich, distinctive style. Smith’s journey as an artist, from his formative years studying under Henri Matisse in France to his representation of Britain at the Venice Biennale, cemented his role as a significant advocate for post-impressionist art and a pioneering force within 20th century modernism.

Patrick Heron, born 40 years after Smith, was a prominent figure in the post-war British art scene who made significant contributions to modernist painting, particularly through his exploration of colour and form. He once lauded Matthew Smith as a ‘master of colour,’ calling him ‘easily the most important English painter of his generation.’ Smith’s influence was seen in Heron’s artworks, from his lively still lifes to his later abstract pieces.

Witness the brilliance of these two visionary painters, united in a celebration of colour and vivid expression.