`A Normandy Cottage` 
Edward Herbert Burt-Smith c.1914 
An attractive sunny watercolour depicting a rural French cottage scene in Normandy. Like many artists of the early 20th century he and his wife, the painter Ruth Burt-Smith, were probably drawn to Normandy because of the Impressionists and the plein-air school of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I have discovered that the Burt-Smiths were in Caudebec on at least one occasion and I imagine this may well be in the same area. Burt-Smith was an established figure in the local art community in Devon, England who died suddenly in 1935. Quite a prolific artist whose work comes up for auction occasionally and is sought after in the West Country. The painting is housed in a very nice Art Deco period `French style` frame with new ingres mount.
Edward Burt-Smith was an active member of the Devon artistic community, and became honorary curator of Torre Abbey when it opened to the public in the early 1930`s. He was responsible for assembling and hanging the collection. He died suddenly following an operation in 1935. He was married to the painter Ruth Burt-Smith who had studied at the Slade School of Art in London. Examples of both of their works can be seen in the collection at Torre Abbey, Devon.