Charles Alexander Smith 1864 - 1915

Private Collection, Toronto

This painting is in fair condition. A thick varnish renders in-painting difficult to decipher under UV. Craquelure is visible throughout and the canvas was probably laid down on board to stabilize and prevent paint loss. This work would benefit from cleaning.
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Smith is known professionally as Charles Alexander. He was born in Ontario and lived and worked in Montreal. He studied in Europe, first in Paris at the Académie Julian, where he won a bronze medal at a Salon show, and then in England.

In London, he was commissioned to paint the officers of the Life Guards whose colonel-in-chief was King Edward. King Edward also gave Smith personal sittings.

His early works were primarily landscapes, though when he returned to Canada, and for the rest of his career, he became renowned for his figure studies and portraiture.

Judging from the similarity in subject matter, he was probably aware of another Canadian artist in Europe at the time, Paul Peel.  This painting could have been done in the Brittany area of France, either Concarneau or Pont-Aven where a number of artist's sought out fresh pictorial motifs.

Smith's works are scarce and rarely appear at auction.