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John Smart

John Smart (1742/43 - 1811) was active/lived in United Kingdom.  John Smart is known for Miniatures.

In 1755, at the age of fourteen, John Smart began to enter pencil and chalk drawings for prizes at the Society of Arts.  After coming in second to Richard Cosway in the first competition, he went on to secure first prize in the following three.  The 18th Century was a highly prosperous period for the miniature painter, and witnessed the success of Cosway and Engleheart to name just two. 

During the 1760s, Smart was a rival to the equally young Richard Cosway but his miniatures are markedly different; although both artists were painting portraits on a similar scale, Cosway opted for a more virtuoso style of painting, which he executed with a lightness of touch.   Smart, however, embraced a more delicate, meticulous style and his sitter's costumes tend to be more restrained.

These early years provided Smart with the necessary confidence, contacts and drive, and in 1765 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Artists (   ...  [Displaying 1000 of 1984 characters.]  Artist bio

Artist auction records

.  askART's database currently holds 289 auction lots for John Smart (of which 239 auction records sold and 0 are upcoming at auction.)

Artist artworks for sale and wanted

.  There are 0 artworks for sale on our website by galleries and art dealers . There are 0 galleries and art dealers listing works of art by John Smart as either "Wanted" or "For Sale" .

Research resources

.  askART lists John Smart in 0 of its research Essays. John Smart has 7 artist signature examples available in our database.

Similar artists

.  There are 24 similar (related) artists for John Smart available:    Jeremiah Meyer,  Nathaniel Plimer,  Thomas Hazlehurst,  Charles Robertson,  Nicholas Hilliard,  Andrew Robertson,  Henry Jacob Birch,  Richard Crosse,  Anne Mee,  Peter Paillou,  James Scouler,  Samuel Shelley,  John Bogle,  Andrew Plimer,  William Wood,  George Engleheart,  John Barry,  Alexander Gallaway,  Nathaniel Freese,  John Cox Dillman Engleheart,  William Grimaldi,  Charles Shirreff,  Adam Buck,  Frederick Buck



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Facts about John Smart

In 1755, at the age of fourteen, John Smart began to enter pencil and chalk drawings for prizes at the Society of Arts.  After coming in second to Richard Cosway in the first competition, he went on to secure first prize in the following three.  The 18th Century was a highly prosperous period for the miniature painter, and witnessed the success of Cosway and Engleheart to name just two. 

During the 1760s, Smart was a rival to the equally young Richard Cosway but his miniatures are markedly different; although both artists were painting portraits on a similar scale, Cosway opted for a more virtuoso style of painting, which he executed with a lightness of touch.   Smart, however, embraced a more de  ...  Displaying 750 of 1984 characters.

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