John Smith (art dealer)

John Smith, painting by Moses Haughton the Elder J.

John Smith (* 1781 in London , † 1855 in Hanwell , Middlesex ) was a British art dealer who developed the concept of catalog raisonné .

Smith began his career as a gilder and frame maker, which led to a trade in art in London. His business was on Great Marlborough Street, and later New Bond Street , and his wealthy clients included Robert Peel , the Duke of Wellington, and the Rothschilds.

However, he was best known for his work A catalog raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters , which appeared in nine volumes from 1829 to 1842.

Volume 1 (1829): Gerard Dou , Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt , Frans van Mieris the Elder , Willem van Mieris , Adriaen van Ostade , Isaac van Ostade , Philips Wouwerman ( digitized version ).
Volume 2 (1830): Peter Paul Rubens ( digitized ).
Volume 3 (1831): Anthony van Dyck , David Teniers the Younger ( digitized ).
Volume 4 (1833): Jan Steen , Gerard ter Borch , Eglon van der Neer , Pieter de Hooch , Gonzales Coques , Gabriel Metsu , Caspar Netscher , Adriaen van der Werff , Nicolaes Maes , Godfried Schalcken ( digital copy ).

Volume 5 (1834): Nicolaes Berchem , Paulus Potter , Adriaen van de Velde , Karel Dujardin , Albert Cuyp , Jan van der Heyden ( digitized version ).

Volume 6 (1835): Jacob van Ruysdael , Meindest Hobbema , Jan Both , Andries Both , Jan Wynants , Adam Pynacker , Jan Hackaert , Willem van de Velde , Ludolf Bakhuizen , Jan van Huysum , Rachel Ruysch ( digitized ).

Volume 7 (1836): Rembrandt ( digitized ).

Volume 8 (1837): Nicolas Poussin , Claude Lorrain , Jean-Baptiste Greuze ( digitized version ).

Supplement (1842): Corrections and additions ( digitized version ).

His work became the basis of Cornelis Hofstede de Groot : Descriptive and Critical Directory of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the 17th Century , published in 10 volumes from 1907 to 1928.

literature

Smith's 'Catalog Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish and French Painters': A Memoir of the Author by his Grandson. In: The Connoisseur 5, 1903, pp. 214-216.
Cornelis Hofstede de Groot: Foreword. In: ders., Descriptive and critical directory of the works of the most outstanding Dutch painters of the 17th century, Volume 1, Esslingen / Paris 1907, pp. I – VI ( digitized version ).
Charles Sebag-Montefiore: A dynasty of dealers: John Smith and successors 1801-1924. A study of the art market in nineteenth-century London . The Roxburghe Club, Arundel 2013, ISBN 978-1-901902-10-5 .

Web links

John Smith in the Dictionary of Art Historians

Remarks

↑ A catalog raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters: in which is included a short biographical notice of the artists, with a copious description of their principal pictures; a statement of the prices at which such pictures have been sold at public sales on the continent and in England; a reference to the galleries and private collections, in which a large portion are at present; and the names of the artists by whom they have been engraved; to which is added, a brief notice of the scholars & imitators of the great masters of the above schools, by John Smith, dealer in pictures .
↑ Based on the model from John Smith's Catalog raisonné .

personal data
SURNAME	Smith, John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	British art dealer who created the concept of the catalog raisonné
DATE OF BIRTH	1781
PLACE OF BIRTH	London
DATE OF DEATH	1855
Place of death	Hanwell , Middlesex

[1] A catalog raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters: in which is included a short biographical notice of the artists, with a copious description of their principal pictures; a statement of the prices at which such pictures have been sold at public sales on the continent and in England; a reference to the galleries and private collections, in which a large portion are at present; and the names of the artists by whom they have been engraved; to which is added, a brief notice of the scholars & imitators of the great masters of the above schools, by John Smith, dealer in pictures .

[2] Based on the model from John Smith's Catalog raisonné .