By In February, I spent a fascinating morning with the residents of a Gypsy and Traveller’s site in Buckinghamshire. The visit was part of my quest to find out more about Laura Knight’s portraits in preparation for the Gallery’s forthcoming exhibition. In the late 1930s, Knight made a remarkable series of paintings of English Gypsies, but very little is known about the individuals depicted. Given that they posed within living memory, I felt certain that the sitters would have descendents who might help us learn more about these portraits and their subjects.
If it were not for her wonderfully vivid second autobiography The Magic of a Line (1965), my research could have stalled for want of clues. Knight gave these portraits vague titles including; ‘The Gypsy’ and ‘Old Gypsy Woman’, but her book describes the regular visits she made to the Gypsy settlement in Iver, Buckinghamshire, and her favourite sitter; the matriarchal Granny Smith. With the assistance of the local authority liaison officer, I obtained an invitation to a permanent site near Iver, where older members of the community recognised Knight’s sitters through reproductions I had sent in advance.
During my visit I heard about the Gypsy lifestyle in the 1930s, when painted wagons still prevailed, and also reminiscences of the Smith family: Lilo Smith, called ‘Granny’, Gilderoy, one of her nine sons, and the enigmatic Freedom, wife of Lilo’s son Harry, whom Knight chose to name ‘Beulah’. A happy coincidence occurred several months later when Lilo’s great-grandson contacted the Your Paintings website (a joint initiative of the Public Catalogue Foundation and the BBC) to tell them that ‘The Gypsy’ shows his great-uncle Gilderoy. The painting is in the Tate collection, and they put him in touch with me. A keen researcher of his family history, Mr Smith provided more precise dating and additional anecdotes about Knight’s sitters and her painting practice at this time. It seems that this group of portraits have never been shown together before, and I can’t wait to see the family reunited.
The Gypsy' by Laura Knight, which is a portrait of Gilderoy Smith, is in the collection of the Tate, and we recommend you contact Tate shop if require an image of this painting. 'Gypsy Splendour', a portrait of Lilo Smith, is in the collection of the Nottingham Castle Museum and, at the time of writing, postcards were available from the museum shop. The portraits 'Beulah' (showing Freedom Smith) and 'Granny Smith' are in private collections.
Image credits (from left to right)
Old Gypsy Woman, 1938, oil on canvas, Private Collection
The Gypsy, 1939, oil on canvas, Tate: Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest, 1939
Beulah No.2, late 1930s, Ronnie and Anne Linton. Image: courtesy of Bonhams.
All works are © reproduced with permission of The Estate of Dame Laura Knight DBE RA RWS 2013 (All Rights Reserved). All images are credited to the lender unless otherwise stated.
Comments
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Barbara Alway
17 August 2019, 09:23
I really love the photos and will do as you say and try to get copies, I have not made any progress on the Smith side, Cinnamenti Smith born Brentford, Middx 1851-1932 was married to John Mark Hearne born in Denham Buckinghamshire 1850- ? Cinnamenti was the daughter of Righteous Smith (Rito) wife Trinity have no dates. If anyone can help on family tree it would be great or have any pictures of these to help me. Being Smith I am having great difficulty.
Barbara Alway
14 August 2019, 14:30
my great great grandmother was Amy Hearn born 1890 Kensington, (Walter Hearn's daughter - son of Shadrach Hearn and Mary Williams). She worked as a help in a big house in London, and the man she worked for was a Sir. He was also a painter and he painted her portrait and it was apparently in a big London Gallery rumour was the National portrait Gallery at one time. I know it is of her as a young woman somewhere in the early 1900, she had long black hair and was sitting in a chair and it was apparently titled The Gypsy. I am desperately looking for this. It is a long shot but had to try.
Norah Smith
06 May 2019, 19:43
lovely to see so many pictures of the Smith ancestors my husband is the great great grandson of Gildroy Smith's half brother James Smith who married Sarah Lock. I have been up to Kings Stanley Glos to his grave and to visit the house where he ran his scrap yard from . I have a photo of him outside this house. A lot of our Smith's married into the Loveridge family as one of your other writers stated.
Norah Smith
John Hagger
15 February 2018, 15:52
Hi my name is John.
I'm Emailing you about the Dame Laura paintings Gildroy & Rose Smith is the mother & father of my grandfather Christopher Smith Known as Willy there are 3 paintings with my mum's brother Gildroy in them and 2 or 3 with my Granny my mum's mum Mary Ann Smith nee Smith from another lot of Smith Family her Father was Sefton Smith & her mother was Phoebe Roberts.
The Painting's are of the Two Smith Family's & The Loveridges that's Smith Loveridge & Loveridge Smith where there all married in & other family's that's married in.
I can send you the pictures that's of my uncle & my granny.
My granny use to tell me the story's of Dame Laura Knight & the paintings & said Dame Laura Knight was a lovely lady.
Hope to here from you soon.
Thanks Regards John.
Paul Wheatcroft
31 January 2018, 12:22
I love this tale of Laura Knight's subjects. Gilderoy's portrait by Laura is probably my favourite painting. I have done street portraits here in Bristol and in my view there is nothing so wonderful to draw and paint as the face of an older human, woman or man.
Thank you so much for all your work researching these facts. I loved the Laura Knight exhibition.
Best wishes.
Paul Wheatcroft
Sarah Jane
14 July 2015, 07:40
Freedom smith was my nans mother would love if any off my family got any pics of me nan when she was younger Annie smith who married joe smith they had my aunt diggy Shirley smith me mum Rita smith me uncle joe boy smith me aunt Taney smith.
marksmithlfc
25 February 2015, 01:19
Hello could someone let me know how i might get in touch with the Author of this Blog So i may there fore contact the Mr Smith that she spoke with as it seems that he is a Relative of mine and would love to get in touch as i am Keen to find out More About my Grand fathers dad Gildroy who sat for this painting on this website, please contact me at [email protected] i would also love to know where i could visit and see these wonderful paintings please if anyone can help , Thanks Mark Smith Langley near Iver Bucks
Mark smith
25 February 2015, 00:39
Hello my Granfa name was Chummy (Rueben ) smith his dad was gildroy smith , my dad is mark smith his twin brother is Gilbert smith and has another brother Luke and 2 sisters Lally and Annie , so that make Old Gilroy smith my great grandad my middle name is gilbert and should have been Gildroy but i was told thats what they called him , i can rememebr my old granny rose when i was little growing up on mansion lane in Iver bucks , these paintings are something else Brilliant
Rita Smith
31 January 2015, 16:47
LILO smith daughter was my mum my mum was called Annie smith sisters was called Rosina and emy brother called standley my mother married joe smith kids called Rita smith Taney smith Shirley smith joe smith Maria smith.
Rita smith family member
31 January 2015, 16:36
This painting is my nans mother my mums grandmother my mum is Rita smith email me thank you