SMITH, ERIC JOHN (1919-2017)

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"The Crucified Christ" (1965)

oil on board

signed lower right

*Blake Prize Finalist Painting, 1966

*private collection, Sydney

Eric Smith is award-winning Australian Mid Century Artist. He won many of Australia's major art prizes multiple times including the Archibald Prize for portraiture three times; the Wynne Prize twice; the Sulman Prize three times; and the Blake Prize for Religious Art six times. Smith studied Commercial Art and Painting at the Brunswick Technical School and joined the Victorian Artists Society. In 1940 Smith joined the Australian Army for the remainder of the Second World War. Upon the end of the war, Smith returned to Melbourne and pursued his artistic ambitions. In 1945, a self-portrait painted on an army canvas was runner-up for the Archibald Prize. In 1956 Smith had his work shown in the Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, during the 'Direction One' exhibition. The success of this exhibition led to Smith's work being included in the 1963 exhibition of Australian art shown at the Tate Gallery in London. Whilst in London in 1963, Smith gained further international recognition after winning the Helena Rubenstein Art Award. In 1970 Smith won the Archibald again for his portrait of Sydney architect Neville Gruzman. The award announced on 22 January 1971 came 25 years after his second place. Smith's second winning portrait of art dealer and gallery owner Rudy Komon entered in the 1981 Archibald Prize caused controversy within the art world. In 1982 Smith won the Archibald for the second year in a row and his third time with a portraitportrait of Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe. Eric Smith was recognised for his contribution to the visual arts with an Australia Council Emeritus Award in 1995. A total of 13 paintings are in the Art Gallery of NSW collection.