SMART, Robert Borlase

1881 - 1947

Robert Borlase Smart was born at Kingsbridge, Devon on 11 February 1881, eldest child of Robert William Cawse Smart (1852-15 June 1933), a public elementary teacher, and his wife Eliza Jane née Borlase (1857-1929), who married at St Jude, Plymouth on 11 July 1879 and in 1921 were living at 40 Hillside Avenue, Plymouth, Devon with a 34-year-old unmarried daughter Hilda B. In 1881, Robert was a newly born, living at Shipwrights Yard, Dodbrooke, Devon with his parents, 28-year-old Robert and 24-year-old Eliza, with mother-in-law Phoebe Rashleigh Borlase, a 57-year-old widow. Robert worked as a journalist/art editor and critic on the 'Western Morning News/Illustrated Western Weekly News' 1901-1913 and studied at Plymouth College of Art, the Royal College of Art and from 1913 under Albert Julius Olsson (1864-1942) in St Ives, Cornwall. On the outbreak of the First World War, he joined the Artists Rifles in the Machine Gun Corps, during which time he continued his drawing and in April 1917 an exhibition of his works 'Between Vimy Ridge & the Somme, sketches of the Western Front' was held at Harris & Sons Galleries, George Street, Plymouth to be followed by one at the Fine Art Society in New Bond Street, London and his drawings of the Western Front were purchased by the Imperial War Museum. He married at Godstone, Surrey on 31 October 1917, Kathleen Irene Godson (27 October 1898-29 December 1978) and they settled in St Ives, Cornwall where he had studios at The Cabin, 1 Porthmeor and the Ocean Wave Studio. For a brief time in 1926 they lived at Salcombe, Devon but returned to St Ives the following year and in 1939 were living at Ty Bryn, Belyars Park Avenue, St Ives, Cornwall. A coastal and marine painter, etcher, poster designer and topographical artist and a member and exhibitor at the Royal Academy also showing at the Royal Institute of Oil Painter; Royal Institute of British Artists and the Nottingham Society of Arts. A member and exhibitor at the Ipswich Art Club 1946-1947. Robert Borlase Smart died at Ty Bryn, St Ives, Cornwall on 3 November 1947, aged 66. The author of several books including 'Techniques for Painting Seascapes' (1929).

Royal Academy Exhibits
from 32 Hillside Avenue, Mutley, Plymouth
1912 369 Moonlight on the Cornish Riviera
from Studio Athenaeum Chambers, George Street, Plymouth
1914 105 The Moon reflects her Glory across St Eia's Bay
from Chy-an-Drea Hotel, St Ives, Cornwall
1919 411 Munitions 1918
from 1 Porthmeor Studios, St Ives, Cornwall
1922 90 Morning Light, St Ives
1923 261 Cornish Cliffs

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Works by This Artist