Matthew Smith (1879-1959) was one of the most well-known British painters in the first half of the twentieth century. He trained at the Slade School before moving to France in 1908, where he attended the Atelier Matisse. He spent much of his time working in France between the wars, as well as an extensive period in Cornwall. Initially influenced by Fauvist painting, he evolved a richly intuitive and painterly style. Employing an alla prima technique, he painted thickly and fluently - his combination of sensual form and colour, particularly in his nudes, has been likened to the work of Delacroix.

This volume provides, for the first time, a complete catalogue of the oil paintings by Matthew Smith from 1905 to 1957 together with a substantial critical reappraisal of the artist’s work. Gledhill situates the artist in the context of modernism and his Bloomsbury peers and the London Group. Provenance, exhibition catalogues and literature are brought together in extensively researched entries, and the majority of the paintings are illustrated. Four colour plate sections showcase the glowing colours and textures that typified Smith’s work.