Lot 103
Albert Leslie Smith (Circa 1862-1932)
Lot 103 Details
Albert Leslie Smith (Circa 1862-1932), American
THE NEWSBOY, HOMER, NY, 1889
Oil on canvas; signed lower right. Accompanied by a handwritten pen and ink statement from the artist’s first cousin adhered to the frame verso that reads, "Albert Leslie Smith, artist, born July 18th 186_(2?) at Homer, N.Y. Died at Wilbraham, Mass, USA, May 27th 1932. Buried at Homer, N.Y. This painting was made by this artist about the year 1889, "L.T. Higgs (?)" 1st cousin of A.L.S.”
50 ins x 30.5 ins; 127 cms x 77.5 cms
Estimate $3,000-$5,000
Additional Images
Provenance:
Imported from England in the late 19th century;
Presented to a Prominent Collection, Toronto by William Robertson in May 1952;
Prominent Collection, Toronto
Literature:
This work is cited in "From Streets to Playgrounds Representing Children in Early 20th Century Toronto," https://cris.brighton.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/5079984/catalogue_.pdf
Note:
The popularity of the theme of children in the streets in 19th century British paintings found its way to Toronto. Canadian artist F. M. Bell-Smith painted “newsies” on Toronto’s King Street and Albert Leslie Smith painted his on the streets of Homer, New York. This topic was the theme of the exhibition "From Streets to Playgrounds Representing Children in Early 20th Century Toronto."