Charleston presents ‘Matthew Smith: through the eyes of Patrick Heron’ in new summer exhibition season in Firle

This summer, Charleston presents the first exhibition to explore the influence of English painter Matthew Smith on post-war artist Patrick Heron. This joint showcase of paintings by two of the 20th century’s most significant colourists explores the profound influence of Smith’s dynamic use of colour on Heron’s vibrant palette.

1 May–13 October 2024→ Charleston in Firle

This summer, Charleston presents the first exhibition to explore the influence of English painter Matthew Smith on post-war artist Patrick Heron. This joint showcase of paintings by two of the 20th century’s most significant colourists explores the profound influence of Smith’s dynamic use of colour on Heron’s vibrant palette.

Matthew Smith (1879 – 1959), a contemporary and friend of the Bloomsbury group, crafted luminous landscapes, portraits and still lifes with a rich, distinctive style. During his lifetime he spent many years in France, and the influence of the fauvists’ bold approach to colour and swift brushwork is evident in his paintings. His artistic evolution, from the Slade School of Art to studying under Henri Matisse in France, led him to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1938 and 1950, solidifying his status as a crucial proponent of post-impressionist art in the UK and a trailblazer within 20th century modernism. He was much admired not only by Patrick Heron but by Frank Auerbach and Francis Bacon, who declared him ‘one of the very few English painters since Constable and Turner to be concerned with painting – that is, with attempting to make idea and technique inseparable’.

Patrick Heron (1920 – 1999), 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. A member of the St Ives School, he once lauded Matthew Smith as a ‘master of colour,’ calling him ‘easily the most important English painter of his generation.’ This influence permeated each aspect of Heron’s career, from his dynamic still lifes to his later abstracted forms, creating a legacy of vivid expression.

When viewed side-by-side, kindred palettes emerge, with colours and textures interacting, and reflecting their shared inspiration – from lush Cornish landscapes, French modernist paintings, and the pioneering friendship groups they were part of.

Charleston, the modernist home and studio of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, provides an evocative backdrop for this exploration of modernist art and the innovative use of colour. Just as Smith and Heron pushed the boundaries of colour and form in their paintings, so too did members of the Bloomsbury Group. The brightly coloured interiors, eclectic textile patterns, and an ongoing commitment to individual expression parallel the avant-garde and vigorous approach of these two artists.

Open concurrently is the first UK institutional solo exhibition of the self-taught artist Anne Rothenstein. Her remarkable body of work features dreamlike collages and paintings inspired by found imagery, personal experiences and memories.

Nathaniel Hepburn, Director and Chief Executive at Charleston says: ‘It’s a privilege to be able to display the work of these two masters of colour side-by-side – Charleston has always been a place of radical experimentation, and just like the Bloomsbury group these artists pushed the boundaries of their art forms. These works feel at home here, and we’re thrilled for visitors to witness the dialogue between these two artists and their bold use of colour.’

-ENDS-

NOTES TO EDITORS

For more information please contact:

Felicity Avenell, f.Avenell@Charleston.org.uk

For full album of press imagery, see here.

ABOUT CHARLESTON

Charleston is a place that brings people together to engage with art and ideas. The modernist home and studio of the painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, Charleston was a gathering point for some of the 20th century’s most radical artists, writers and thinkers known collectively as the Bloomsbury Group. It is where they came together to imagine society differently and has always been a place where art and experimental thinking are at the centre of everyday life. Today, we have two locations, the house and galleries at Firle and a venue in Lewes, and present a dynamic year-round programme of exhibitions, events and festivals.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith (1879-1959) was born in Halifax, Yorkshire, and received his education at the Manchester School of Technology and the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Smith studied under Henri Matisse in Paris and acquired an interest in Fauvism. His impactful use of colour, characterised by strong contrasts and confident brushwork, distinguishes his work. Despite spending time in Paris, his early pieces, such as the Fitzroy Street nudes and Cornish landscapes, align more with the development of Post-Impressionism in Britain. The outbreak of World War I led him back to England. Smith settled in Fitzroy Street, where he was neighbours with the painter Walter Sickert. Smith gained international recognition at the Venice Biennale in 1950, followed by a major retrospective at the Barbican Art Gallery in London in 1983. Smith lived, worked, and exhibited in England and France.

Patrick Heron

Patrick Heron (1920–1999) was a British abstract and figurative artist, critic and writer who lived in Zennor, Cornwall.

Heron was recognised as one of the leading painters of his generation. Influenced by Cézanne, Matisse, Braque and Bonnard, Heron made a significant contribution to the dissemination of modernist ideas of painting through his critical writing and primarily his art.

Heron’s artworks are most noted for his exploration and use of colour and light. He is known for both his early figurative work and non-figurative works, which over the years looked to explore further the idea of making all areas of the painting of equal importance. His work was exhibited widely throughout his career and while he wrote regularly early in his career, notably for New Statesman and Arts New York, this continued periodically in later years.

IMAGE CREDITS

Matthew Smith, Cornish Landscape II, Oil on Canvas, 1920, 68.5 x 80 cm, private collection courtesy of Offer Waterman. Copyright The Estate of Sir Matthew Smith.

ADDRESS

→ Charleston Trust, Firle, West Firle, Lewes BN8 6LL

→ Now open: Charleston Lewes, Southover Road, Lewes, BN7 1FB