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An image of Sydney Ure Smith OBE by W B McInnes

W B McInnes

(Australia 1889–1939)

Title
Sydney Ure Smith OBE
Other titles:
Sydney Ure Smith
Year
(1922)
Media category
Painting
Materials used
oil on canvas
Dimensions

95.5 x 84.2cm stretcher; 108.7 x 98.2 x 7.0cm frame

Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
Credit
Gift of Sydney Ure Smith 1929
Accession number
976
Location
Not on display
Further information

Sydney Ure Smith (1887–1949) was influential in promoting Australian art to a broader public during the first half of the twentieth century. In 1906 he founded the advertising company of Smith and Julius, incorporating quality art and design with technically advanced printing. He then founded the periodicals 'Art in Australia' (1916) and 'Home' (1920) and established the publishing company Ure Smith Pty Ltd in 1934, producing numerous texts of key significance to Australian art. President of the Society of Artists 1921–48, trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales 1927–47, patron of many artists, and active in numerous positions of influence, he was himself a competent practising artist.

© Australian Art Department, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2006

Bibliography (7)

Christine France (Australia) (Author), Deborah Edwards (Australia) (Author), David Moore (Australia, b.1927, d.2003) (Author), Mary Turner (Australia) (Author), Robyn Martin-Weber (Australia) (Author), Jean Appleton - A lifetime with art, Sydney, 1998, 22 (illus.).

Bernard Smith (Australia, b.1916, d.2011) (Author), Terry Smith (Author), Australian painting 1788-1990, South Melbourne, 1991, 189, 190 (illus.). cat.no. 110

Ian Burn (Australia; United States of America, b.1939, d.1993) (Author), National life and landscape - Australian painting 1900-1940, Sydney, 1990, 133, 134 (colour illus.). plate no. 99

Author Unknown, The Adelaide Festival of Arts 1964: Souvenir Catalogue of special exhibitions at the National Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 1964. cat.no. 25

Herbert Badham (Australia, b.1899, d.1961) (Author), A gallery of Australian art, Sydney, 1954, xiii, (illus.). plate no. 21

Lionel Lindsay (Australia, b.1874, d.1961) (Author), 150 years of Australian art, Sydney, 1938. cat.no. 31

William Moore (Australia, b.1868, d.1937) (Author), The Story of Australian Art: from the earliest known art of the continent to the art of today (Vol. 2), Sydney, 1934, (illus.).

Exhibition history (7)

Society of Artists Annual Exhibition (1923), Education Department Gallery [Loftus Street], 15 Sep 1923–13 Oct 1923.

150 years of Australian art (1938), National Art Gallery of New South Wales, 27 Jan 1938–25 Apr 1938.

Artists by artists (1954), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Nov 1954–05 Dec 1954.

Famous Australians by famous Australian artists, Art Gallery of South Australia, 07 Mar 1964–21 Mar 1964.

Cover up: the art of magazine covers in Australia, Hyde Park Barracks, 19 May 1995–13 Aug 1995.

Cover up: the art of magazine covers in Australia, The George Adams Gallery, Victorian Arts Centre, 31 Aug 1995–08 Oct 1995.

Cover up: the art of magazine covers in Australia, National Library of Australia, 26 Oct 1995–31 Oct 1996.