George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
American, 1840-1921
The career of George Smillie followed the arc of nineteenth-century U.S. landscape painting. Trained in the Hudson River School tradition, Smillie successfully adapted to changing U.S. tastes and growing interest in European trends. In the late 1800s, he moved to tonalist paintings full of brushwork and influenced by French Barbizon painting. By the end of his career, he had lightened his palette to produce works similar to those of the U.S. impressionists. Yet in all styles, he was never less than competent, and his tonalist work is among the best produced in the United States.
Like many nineteenth-century painters, George Smillie’s artistic training began with the study of printing. His father, James Smillie, was a noted printmaker who engraved Hudson River landscapes. George studied briefly with James McDougal Hart and then opened a studio of his own in New York City. A critic in 1870 said that his realistic landscapes exhibited “a certain refinement” that “enhances the charm of his more quiet scenes.”
Smillie spent most of his career in New York City but sketched for several summers in New Hampshire, upstate New York, and Florida. In the early 1870s, George Smillie and his older brother (James Smillie, also an artist) ventured to the western United States to sketch. The trip inspired several paintings of the Rocky Mountains as well as some with Native American scenes observed from real life.
On the same trip, the Smillie brothers visited the Yosemite Valley in California. Access was difficult until the national park was established in 1890, and the brothers visited before the area’s features were well-known to European Americans. An oil painting by George Smillie of Half Dome in Yosemite sold for $42,000 in 2006.
George Smillie painted both in oils and in watercolor. He embraced a wide range of landscape subjects from quiet Connecticut meadows to rocky Massachusetts coastlines. He particularly liked painting the area around the shores of Long Island.
After a tour of Europe, however, George Smillie began painting moody tonalist landscapes with muted colors. He became fascinated with the changeability of the seasons and times of the day. In these works, Smillie often chose a dramatic viewpoint and mysterious lighting to add theatrical excitement to the scene.
During the 1890s, Smillie lived in southern Connecticut where he met the major U.S. impressionists. He soon changed his style again, now choosing a lighter palette and even looser brushwork. In 1906, the 66-year-old painter moved for the final time to Pondville Road in Bronxville, NY. He said of the area, “For the landscape painter there is enough to keep him busy here without going far afield for his subjects, and there is always inspiration among our beautiful trees and back lanes and old pastures.”to
3
2
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
5
1
6
5
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
6
6
6
6
1
7
665
602
320
223
6
6
Artist: George Henry Smillie
"Coastal Scene" George Henry Smillie, Hudson River School, Rocky Coast, Cloudy
By George Henry Smillie
Located in New York, NY
George Henry Smillie
Coastal Scene
Signed lower right
Oil on canvas
20 x 30 inches
Provenance
Collection of Sylvia and Saverio Giammalva, Houston, Texas
The career of George Smill...
Category
1880s Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"Stone Wall, Autumn, " George Smillie, Tonalist Fall Landscape View
By George Henry Smillie
Located in New York, NY
George Henry Smillie (1840 - 1921)
Stone Wall, Autumn, 1879
Oil on canvas
9 1/2 x 15 inches
Signed and dated lower right
Provenance:
Skinner, Boston, September 19, 2014, Lot 389
The career of George Smillie (1840-1921) followed the arc of nineteenth-century U.S. landscape painting. Trained in the Hudson River School tradition, Smillie successfully adapted to changing U.S. tastes and growing interest in European trends. In the late 1800s, he moved to tonalist paintings full of brushwork and influenced by French Barbizon painting. By the end of his career, he had lightened his palette to produce works similar to those of the U.S. impressionists. Yet in all styles, he was never less than competent, and his tonalist work is among the best produced in the United States.
Like many nineteenth-century painters, George Smillie’s artistic training began with the study of printing. His father, James Smillie...
Category
1870s Tonalist George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Farmland Meadows" George Henry Smillie, Hudson River School, Sunset Landscape
By George Henry Smillie
Located in New York, NY
George Henry Smillie
Farmland Meadows, 1865
Signed and dated lower left
Oil on canvas
10 1/2 x 18 inches
Provenance
Private Collection, Langley, Washington
The career of George Sm...
Category
1860s Tonalist George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Cathedral Rocks, Yosemite Valley" George Henry Smillie, West, 19th Century
By George Henry Smillie
Located in New York, NY
George Henry Smillie
Cathedral Rocks, Yosemite Valley, 1871
Signed and inscribed board verso "Cathedral Rocks-Morning-Yo-semite Valley Aug. 71 Geo. H. Smillie", also inscribed "Yo-se...
Category
1870s Academic George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Board
"East Hampton, New York" George Henry Smillie, Hudson River School, Long Island
By George Henry Smillie
Located in New York, NY
George Henry Smillie
East Hampton, New York, 1884
Signed lower left
Dated lower right
Oil on canvas
15 x 24 inches
Provenance
Cigna Museum and Art Collection
Questroyal Fine Art
T...
Category
1880s Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Oil Landscape of Bronx River
By George Henry Smillie
Located in Fredericksburg, VA
George Henry Smillie was an American painter and etcher. He became a member of the National Academy of Design in 1882. He often painted both in oils and in water colour. His favourit...
Category
Early 20th Century Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Related Items
Mt Shasta Spring Stroll on the River Beneath the Mountain Original Oil on Linen
Located in Soquel, CA
Mt Shasta Spring Stroll on the River Beneath the Mountain Original Oil on Linen
A solitary hiker on a trail with Northern California's Mt. Shasta in the distance by Joseph John Engl...
Category
Late 19th Century Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
John EnglehartMt Shasta Spring Stroll on the River Beneath the Mountain Original Oil on Linen, 1890s
$3,150
H 23.5 in W 33.5 in D 2 in
Pierre Montezin large French Impressionist painting harvesting scene and poplars
By PIERRE EUGÈNE MONTEZIN, 1874 - 1946
Located in Harkstead, GB
Montezin's dazzling display of brushwork captures the effects of the sunlight on the water and the glittering leaves of the poplar trees. A masterwork by the artist presented in the ...
Category
Early 20th Century Impressionist George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
$33,545
H 28.5 in W 28.5 in D 3 in
19th Century White Mountain Landscape, Unknown American School
Located in New York, NY
Unknown White Mountain Artist
White Mountain Landscape, 19th Century
Oil on board
5 x 9 1/4 in.
Framed: 7 3/4 x 11 3/4 in.
Category
19th Century Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Board, Oil
Solothman on the Aase, Switzerland
By Eugene Schmidt
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Eugene Schmidt (German/American, 1919-2007)
Title: Solothman on the Aase, Switzerland
Year: Circa 1970
Medium: Oil on canvas board
Board size: 10 x 8 inches
Signature...
Category
Late 20th Century Academic George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil
Sandy Beach, Cohasset, 1860
By Winckworth Allan Gay
Located in New York, NY
Winckworth Allan Gay paints a scenic coastal scene from an elevated perspective overlooking a wave-filled beach below in his work entitled, “Sandy Beach, Cohasset.”
Category
Mid-19th Century Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
On the Long Island Coast
By Sanford Robinson Gifford
Located in New York, NY
Prominent Luminist Hudson River School painter
Category
19th Century Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Hudson River School 19th Century American Landscape Mountains Haystack Horses
Located in Buffalo, NY
This finely executed 19th century oil painting exemplifies the pastoral grandeur and romantic vision associated with the Hudson River School. While the painting is unsigned, it was c...
Category
Late 19th Century Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
French School Road Line III New York City Impressionist Chut Les Barbizons!
Located in Zofingen, AG
☀️⭐Road Line III ⭐☀️
Landscape - Sky scrappers, office- NYC Building avenue Painting with mirror effect
Technique: oil, acrylic, and ink on old book pages on wooden strecher frame ...
Category
1920s Tonalist George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Glue, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$467 Sale Price
75% Off
H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 1.38 in
French School Road Line III New York City oil Post Impressionist th century AUC
Located in Zofingen, AG
Road Line III
Landscape - Sky scrappers, office- NYC Building avenue Painting with mirror effect
Technique: oil, acrylic, and ink on old book pages on wooden frame 40x40cm ■■ 15,7x...
Category
Early 1900s Tonalist George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Stretcher Bars, Mixed Media, Glue, Oil
$2,129
H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 1.38 in
"Landscape with Farm"
By John Francis Murphy
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork by:
John Francis Murphy (1853 - 1921)
John Francis Murphy is increasingly recognized today as one of the leading American Tona...
Category
1890s Tonalist George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Late 19th Century Tonalist Landscape -- Afternoon by the Pond
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous tonalist oil painting woman walking in field by pond with home in background by Willis Seaver Adams (American, 1844-1921), circa 1880. Trees and an amazing sky in the background add depth and interest to this beautiful piece. Signed "W. S. Adams" lower right corner. Condition: Previous restoration includes relining of canvas. Frame is vintage gilt molded and wood frame and shows previous repair of molding losses. Image size: 20"H x 24"W.
Auctions records for the artist exceed $6,000.
Willis Seaver Adams was known for his landscapes of the Connecticut River Valley. A relative recluse for much of his artistic life, his loneliness can be seen in much of his works. Oil miniatures were the focus for almost all of his later works. He is credited with over 425 oils, watercolors, and drawings.
Willis Seaver was born in 1844 on a farm in Suffield, near the Connecticut River. He intermittently attended the Suffield Academy, and always wanted to be a painter. A wealthy doctor became his patron, and financed his studies in 1868 at the Royal Academy in Antwerp. When the doctor passed away, Adams returned home and struggled to make a living painting. After working for a photographer for three years, he opened his own studio.
Adams helped organize Cleveland's first watercolor exhibit in 1876. Soon thereafter, he completed a portrait of Rutherford B. Hayes, then governor of Ohio, prior to his becoming President of the United States. This portrait enhanced Adams notoriety.
In 1878, Adams traveled to Italy where he opened a studio in Venice, and became friendly with neighbor James Whistler. Prior to returning to Springfield, Adams lived in Florence, Italy for three years. He returned to became an instructor for the Springfield Art Association, and began to exhibit his works at the galleries of James D. Gill. His first one-man exhibit was held there in 1894. Other successful exhibitions took place in Chicago, New York, and Boston. Although his works garnered respectable prices and reflected his success, Adams felt he was due more recognition.
In 1906, he moved to Greenfield, Massachusetts and converted a barn into a studio. There, he fell into relative obscurity, accompanied mainly by his dog, Collie. In 1921, Adams passed away.
Examples of Willis Adams works can be seen at the Kent Memorial Library, the Wadsworth Atheneum, and the Suffield Academy. Several Suffield residents are thought to own Adams paintings.
Category
1880s Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
$3,160 Sale Price
36% Off
H 25.75 in W 29.5 in D 3.75 in
Sunset on the Hudson River by Hermann Simon (American, 1846-1895)
Located in New York, NY
Painted by Hudson River School artist Hermann Simon (1846-1895) , "Sunset on the Hudson River" is oil on canvas, measures 15 x 25 inches, and is signed and dated 1875 at the lower ri...
Category
19th Century Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$15,000
H 15 in W 25 in
Previously Available Items
Near Marblehead, Mass
By George Henry Smillie
Located in Milford, NH
A fine New England landscape with sheep grazing near Boston’s North Shore coast by American artist George Henry Smillie (1840-1921). Smillie was born in New York, son of engraver Jam...
Category
Late 19th Century George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Path to the Lake, " George Smillie, Hudson River School, Tonalism Landscape
By George Henry Smillie
Located in New York, NY
George Henry Smillie (1840 - 1921)
Path to the Lake, circa 1910
Oil on canvas
30 x 20 inches
Signed lower left
Provenance:
Alex Fraser Galleries, Vancouver
Private Collection, Vancouver
The career of George Smillie (1840-1921) followed the arc of nineteenth-century U.S. landscape painting. Trained in the Hudson River School tradition, Smillie successfully adapted to changing U.S. tastes and growing interest in European trends. In the late 1800s, he moved to tonalist paintings full of brushwork and influenced by French Barbizon painting. By the end of his career, he had lightened his palette to produce works similar to those of the U.S. impressionists. Yet in all styles, he was never less than competent, and his tonalist work is among the best produced in the United States.
Like many nineteenth-century painters, George Smillie’s artistic training began with the study of printing. His father, James Smillie...
Category
Late 19th Century Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Early Autumn, Bronxville Woods”
By George Henry Smillie
Located in Southampton, NY
Oil on canvas painting by the American National Academy artist, George H. Smillie. Signed lower left. Signed and titled verso. In good condition; original unlined canvas. The painti...
Category
1910s American Impressionist George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
George Smillie, Lake Scene
By George Henry Smillie
Located in New Orleans, LA
A stunningly realistic and accomplished painting in a medium (watercolor) that is absolutely unforgiving. Watercolors of this quality are extremely rare, by anyone!
Plan a trip to New Orleans, have some fun, save on shipping and pick it up from me personally!
Born in New York City on December 29, 1840, George Smillie was the son of James Smillie...
Category
Late 19th Century Hudson River School George Henry Smillie Landscape Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
George Henry Smillie landscape paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic George Henry Smillie landscape paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by George Henry Smillie in canvas, fabric, oil paint and more. Not every interior allows for large George Henry Smillie landscape paintings, so small editions measuring 21 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of John MacDonald, William Trost Richards, and Albert Bierstadt. George Henry Smillie landscape paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $8,000 and tops out at $28,000, while the average work can sell for $18,000.