From his travels Smith produced many paintings of waterfalls, each accentuating their theatrical majesty. This watercolour shows the Falls of Terni, a cascade south of Perugia that was created around 272 BC, following the construction of a canal that diverted the Velino river over the cliff at Marmore. The tallest artificial waterfall in existence, the Falls were a popular subject for artists visiting Rome. In this watercolour, the viewer is placed at the base of the waterfall, emphasising the dramatic thrashing of the water at the picture’s centre. In the lower right are two anglers, who give an impression of the vast scale of the scene. Smith used these techniques in his other waterfall paintings. One example, The Cascade of Terni (1784, private collection), is very similar to Winchester’s, though instead of the anglers are two figures clad in theatrical dress.
Smith exhibited with the Society of Painters in Water Colours from 1807 to 1823 and served as their president in 1814, 1817 and 1818. Most of the paintings he displayed were scenes from Italy and Switzerland, characterised by a blue-grey palette detailed with warm reddish browns and dark greens. Smith’s work was praised by his contemporaries, but he did not respond to the technical innovations of younger artists such as Turner and Girtin, who came to maturity in the years around 1800, and his work eventually came to appear old-fashioned.
Exhibited: On loan to the Ulster Museum, 1980–1993
Provenance: Simpson Collection, Bristol; Major-General Sir John D’Arcy Anderson and Lady Elizabeth Anderson; gift of Lady Anderson, 1993