Howard E. Smith

Howard Everett Smith was an American painter who studied both drawing and watercolors at an early age. One of his earliest instructors was a veterinarian, who had Smith closely study the anatomy of his subjects. Smith first attended the Art Students’ League in New York and then the School of Art at the Boston Museum.

Smith won numerous prizes including the Hallgarten Prize in 1917 and the Isidor Medal in 1921, both from the National Academy. He became one of the founders of the Rockport Art Association. In 1938, he settled in Carmel, California. After his wife’s death in 1948, he moved to Mexico for a couple of years, often spending the summers in Carmel. Smith eventually settled in Carmel permanently.

Smith was an American impressionist who was known for his illustrations, landscapes, equestrian portraits, and etchings. He not only worked in oil and watercolors, but did also a variety of graphics, often using as subject matter the horses, Indians and cowboys of the West. Much of his work was published in “Harper’s Monthly” magazine. During World War II, he painted horses in the Sierras.

All of his six works submitted in 1932 showed equestrian scenes. Three of them were paintings, probably in oil. The Water Jump (102 x 127 cm) could be reliably identified. Polo at Myopia was represented in the catalog of art competitions, but without further details. Myopia Polo is the oldest active polo club in the United States and is located in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Three identified artworks were etchings with equestrian motifs. Known are the sizes of Go (19 x 25 cm) and Before the Start (15 x 20 cm). The etchings were already exhibited in Boston in 1930.