Smith Art Gallery & Museum | Details | Thomas Stuart Smith, Founder of the Institute

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Actions Displays	Thomas Stuart Smith, Founder of the Institute Remove from selection Add to selection Reproduction Download mediaDownload as zip file Object number08069 TitleThomas Stuart Smith, Founder of the Institute Creator Alfred Wilson (c.1820-c.1888) Cox (Artist)‎ DescriptionThis is Thomas Stuart Smith: artist, abolitionist, visionary – and the founder of what is today the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. It was painted after his death by his friend and fellow artist Alfred Wilson Cox in 1874. Born in Nottingham, Cox specialised in landscape painting but was also very accomplished at portraiture – here he has captured Stuart Smith lost in thought. Cox was also appointed as one of the founding Trustees of the Smith. Thomas Stuart Smith had a tough start in life. He was illegitimate and hardly knew his parents, sent to boarding school in France. Financial support came instead from his uncle Alexander Smith, and Stuart Smith later inherited his estate Glassingall near Dunblane in 1857. Stuart Smith became a tutor for wealthy families and spent time travelling with them in Europe. Reaching Italy, he discovered a passion not just for the land and the people, but also for art. By 1849 his own work was on display at prestigious exhibitions at the Salon des Beaux Arts in Paris and London’s Royal Academy. Stuart Smith used his wealth to put together a magnificent collection of art. His aim was ultimately to build a magnificent gallery and museum in Stirling worthy of housing these treasured objects. Sadly, he died before his vision was complete, but his ideas and his generous bequest of £5,000 enabled the creation of our magnificent building. Production date 1874 Object nameOil Painting Painting MaterialOil/Canvas Dimensions Height: 744 mm Width: 617 mm

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Download mediaDownload as zip file

Object number08069

TitleThomas Stuart Smith, Founder of the Institute

Creator Alfred Wilson (c.1820-c.1888) Cox (Artist)‎

DescriptionThis is Thomas Stuart Smith: artist, abolitionist, visionary – and the founder of what is today the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. It was painted after his death by his friend and fellow artist Alfred Wilson Cox in 1874. Born in Nottingham, Cox specialised in landscape painting but was also very accomplished at portraiture – here he has captured Stuart Smith lost in thought. Cox was also appointed as one of the founding Trustees of the Smith. Thomas Stuart Smith had a tough start in life. He was illegitimate and hardly knew his parents, sent to boarding school in France. Financial support came instead from his uncle Alexander Smith, and Stuart Smith later inherited his estate Glassingall near Dunblane in 1857. Stuart Smith became a tutor for wealthy families and spent time travelling with them in Europe. Reaching Italy, he discovered a passion not just for the land and the people, but also for art. By 1849 his own work was on display at prestigious exhibitions at the Salon des Beaux Arts in Paris and London’s Royal Academy. Stuart Smith used his wealth to put together a magnificent collection of art. His aim was ultimately to build a magnificent gallery and museum in Stirling worthy of housing these treasured objects. Sadly, he died before his vision was complete, but his ideas and his generous bequest of £5,000 enabled the creation of our magnificent building.

Production date 1874

Object nameOil Painting

Painting

MaterialOil/Canvas

Dimensions

Height: 744 mm
Width: 617 mm