William Thomas Smedley (March 26, 1858 – March 26, 1920), was an Americanartist.[1]
Smedley was born inChester County,Pennsylvania, to aQuaker family.[1] He worked at a newspaper,[vague] then studiedengraving and art at thePennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, made a tour of theSouth Seas, then studied inParis underJean-Paul Laurens. He settled inNew York City in 1880. In 1882 he accompanied theMarquis of Lorne throughCanada, preparing sketches forPicturesque Canada.[1] He also providedwood engravings that appeared as illustrations inThe Picturesque Atlas of Australasia (1886).[2]
Most of Smedley's work consisted of magazine and book illustration for stories about modern life, but he painted portraits andwatercolours. He received the Evans Prize of theAmerican Watercolor Society in 1890 and a bronze medal at the Paris Exposition of 1900.[1]In 1905 he became a member of theNational Academy of Design.[1]
Smedley died inBronxville,New York, on March 26, 1920.[3]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Smedley, William Thomas".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 251.
