May Matthews
Managing Director, Scotland
Lot 33
John Smellie(British, 1886-1925)In Summer 49 x 67 cm. (19 5/16 x 26 3/8 in.)
13 May 2021, 11:00 BST
EdinburghSold for £44,000 inc. premium
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John Smellie (British, 1886-1925)
In Summer
signed 'John Smellie' (lower right)
oil on canvas
49 x 67 cm. (19 5/16 x 26 3/8 in.)
signed 'John Smellie' (lower right)
oil on canvas
49 x 67 cm. (19 5/16 x 26 3/8 in.)
Footnotes
Painted circa 1921 at Newton Sands, Millport, on the isle of Cumbrae.
Smellie often employed generic titles for his best work, so although this picture would have been exhibited in the early 1920s it is difficult now to say whether it might have been called The Holiday Season, Sunshine and Leisure or similar. These generic titles demonstrated Smellie's commercial nous. Wealthier patrons who holidayed in more salubrious locations such as Arran, Elie or Iona, would be less inclined to buy Millport or Rothesay, which were more accessible to the day-tripping masses.
This work is closer to Lavery's demographic, with a particularly smart young couple visible over the main figure's shoulder. His lilac blazer and rolled up white summer trousers and tennis shoes and her long green dress, clearly demonstrate an element of modernity, youth and wealth. The girl with the racquet is his sister, Margaret, his principal model.
