Ruth Smith – one of Nordic art’s leading colourists
Nature’s play, changeability and structures are common threads running through Faroese art history. The Faroe Islands’ preeminent colourist Ruth Smith was an unusual artist who tirelessly grappled with her motifs. Her numerous sketches reveal an unrelenting quest to capture exactly what she saw. Our Themed Auction featuring North Atlantic art on 24 September offers you the opportunity to bid on a number of wonderful sketches by the artist from Vágur.
“For heaven’s sake, don’t lose heart again. If doubt creeps in, remember that your mission is to bring out the colour.”
Ruth SmithFrom a sketchbook
The artist from Vágur
Ruth Smith (1913–1958) was born and raised in Vágur on Suðuroy, the southernmost Faroese island. Despite her short life, which ended in a drowning accident in 1958 when she was aged just 45, her vibrant use of colour and sensual style cemented her legacy as a pivotal figure in Faroese art. Smith began her artistic education in Denmark in 1930, first at Bizzie Høyer’s art school, then advancing to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts under Professor Aksel Jørgensen. In 1949, she moved back to Vágur, where she painted and drew portraits, still lifes and landscapes inspired by the local area. From 1957, she and her husband settled in the small village of Nes, where she had a studio built.
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"Ever in the surf we will see / your strong, lost face / Ever in the dark we will hear / your fierce heart beating / Ever will the soft shimmer of the seven stars / tell us of the peace you found."
William HeinsenPoem about Ruth Smith
The realism of art in delicate sketches
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Realism anchored her art – her desire to observe and capture truth over fantasy – and the many sketches she left behind reveal an ongoing battle with the motif in the centre. Fiercely principled yet self-doubting, the shy and sensitive Ruth Smith rarely allowed her works to be exhibited during her lifetime. Her catalogue of finished works is therefore modest. We’re delighted to be able to offer a wonderful little collection of works on paper – all of which have belonged to the artist’s family – at our North Atlantic Themed Auction this autumn. The motifs include a couple of delicate, evocative sketches from her time in Denmark, but primarily depictions from Nes. Her landscapes channel the lightness of Impressionism, capturing the play of light on colours. Her portraits are also worth a mention, with faces emerging from hatched pencil strokes, executed in swift, short movements, which leave a quivering, vibrant expression. |
Themed Auction: North Atlantic art
Selling Faroese and Icelandic art in an international market has long been a tradition of ours, and we’re now focusing on the best classic and modern art from the Faeroe Islands and Iceland. Nature’s play, changeability and structures are common threads running through Faroese art history, while Iceland’s art history has many points of contact and exchanges with Denmark as a result of strong cultural ties over the centuries. Here, the distinctive and magnificent local scenery is often the artistic starting point.
For further information, please contact
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Kathrine EriksenKathrine EriksenSpecialist / Modern & Contemporary Art / København |
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Emma Bjørløw MøllerEmma Bjørløw MøllerSpecialist / Modern & Contemporary Art / København |