The Smith Greenfield team is passionate about art, and here they share some personal favourites, from George Stubbs and George Frederic Watts, to Grayson Perry and Tracey Emin.
Matthew Martin, Head of Operations
My Favourite Artist
My favourite artist is and always has been, apart from a brief Dali phase, George Stubbs.
I first became a fan at school when my art teacher, Mr Cooper, noticed that I was always drawing horses if left to my own devices. He told me I should look at some paintings by George Stubbs and lent me a book on the man and his work. I was hooked. The anatomical drawings he did (which must have been pretty grim work) were fascinating and explain how he developed such a strong understanding of the musculature of a horse.
As he was painting before Muybridge took 24 sequenced photos of Sallie Gardner galloping, some of his commissions depict horses looking like children’s toys with all four legs stretched fore and aft. This dates the work, but I consider it an interesting discussion point rather than a fault. Stubb’s 1793 painting, William Anderson with Two Saddle Horses, is a good example of this.
Stubbs didn’t just paint horses, other exotic animals featured, but horses were his most iconic paintings. I was lucky enough to live near the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool where they had a lot of his work on display. I got to see Horse Frightened by Lion and Molly Longlegs first hand, but I had to wait until many years later to see Whistlejacket, a full size prancing thoroughbred on a plain olive green background. Did he finish it? I don’t care, you’d only see the horse anyway. I was familiar with it from photographs but you really have to stand before the original to get the full impact.
I shall go and see it again when the museums reopen.
Ana Wright, Corporate Client Adviser
My Favourite Art Podcast
I couldn’t single one out, so am going to recommend two!
Talk Art, hosted by art collector and actor Russell Tovey and gallerist Robert Diament, is a great podcast dedicated to the world of art. The pair interview leading artists – recently Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry – curators and art enthusiasts to discuss their own, or other people’s works of art, and in some cases try and establish what they actually are! Not only is it interesting to get a more in-depth view of particular works, but it provides a good forum to listen to experts and serious enthusiasts questioning big subjects like the value of art. It can be quite funny and is very engaging.
Secret Artists, hosted by comedian Annie McGrath, cleverly puts comedy and art together to make a hugely enjoyable listening experience. The episodes include guests making art together and chatting informally about all aspects of art. It’s light hearted, amusing and good to listen to. Annie is not only a comedian, but a talented artist and is genuinely knowledgeable, so knows what she is talking about. Some of her guests don’t, which often brings real comedic value to the show!
Steve Smith, Managing Director
My Favourite Gallery Online
During these times when more people are experiencing hardship alongside restrictions to their freedoms, art can play an important role in showcasing societal issues and a chance for personal reflection.
Today, there is a wonderful array of online opportunities to experience art in all its forms. A Watts Gallery exhibition that I am particularly enjoying is Art & Action: Making Change in Victorian Britain. The exhibition highlights how, in the 19th century, art became a mechanism for highlighting social inequality and promoting political debate.
It is the ‘art for all’ aspect that draws me in. G F Watts and his wife, the artist Mary Watts, were both socially conscious artists, and it was this that inspired them to establish Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village at the turn of the 20thcentury.
Alongside the exhibition is a programme of online events, including a special International Women’s Day event on 8 March.
Imran Moideen,Premier Client Adviser
My Favourite Art Book
Having discovered the work of pioneering Victorian photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron, at the V&A, and subsequently fallen in love with her former home and studio, Dimbola, on the Isle of Wight, I was delighted to receive The Glass House by Jody Cooksley for Christmas, a thoroughly enjoyable novel inspired by the life and career of this truly extraordinary woman. Starting in Calcutta and ending in Ceylon, the book traces Julia’s quest to be an artist – which as a woman, wife and mother was not always easy. Along the way we meet a number of famous literary, artistic, political and scientific luminaries of the day, many of whom were photographed by Julia in her Isle of Wight studio.
If you’re already familiar with Julia Margaret Cameron, you will enjoy the author’s clear passion for her heroine. And if you are yet to discover this wonderful artist, this is a welcome way to do so!
Photo: George Stubbs (1724–1806), ‘Molly Long-Legs’ with Her Jockey, 1761-62, Walker Art Gallery
Smith Greenfield is an independent insurance broker specialising in insurance for collectors of fine art and valuable objects. To discuss specialist insurance for your collection, please contact our Premier Client Adviser, Imran Moideen, via email imran.moideen@smithgreenfield.co.uk or telephone 020 8603 3730.