Robert Chester Smith ( Cranford, 26 February 1912 – 1975) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

art historian specialized in

Portuguese art Portuguese art includes many different styles from many different eras. Sculptures Portuguese sculptures can be best analysed by studying the many tombs of the 12th and 14th centuries that are found throughout Portugal. In the late 1700s, the Co ...

and

Colonial Brazil Colonial Brazil (), sometimes referred to as Portuguese America, comprises the period from 1500, with the Discovery of Brazil, arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves ...

art.

Life and work

Robert Smith was born on February 26, 1912, in Cranford, New Jersey. Smith received his doctorate from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, where he presented a dissertation on the German architect living in Portugal

João Frederico Ludovice Johann Friedrich Ludwig (19 March 1673 in Baden-Wurttemberg – 18 January 1752 in Lisbon), known in Portugal as João Frederico Ludovice, was a German-born Portuguese architect and goldsmith. Early life The youngest son of Peter Ludwig, admin ...

in 1939. He joined the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

in 1947 and taught at the institution's School of Fine Arts from 1956 until his death in 1975. Robert Chester Smith 1915

His notable works include "The Art of Portugal" (London,

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, 1968), for which he won the ''

Athenaeum Literary Award The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, located at 219 S. 6th Street between St. James Place and Locust Street in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a special collections library and museum founded in 1814. The Athenaeum's purpos ...

'' from the

Athenaeum of Philadelphia The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, located at 219 S. 6th Street between St. James Place and Locust Street in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a special collections library and museum founded in 1814. The Athenaeum's purpo ...

. In the 1960s he carried out an inventory of

Talha Dourada Talha or Thalha is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning "fruitful tree from heaven". Talha is the name of a well-known sahabi (companion) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Talha ibn Ubayd Allah. He is renowned for saving Muhammad's face from an a ...

in Portugal with a

grant Grant or Grants may refer to: People * Grant (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Grant (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters ** Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885), the 18th president of the Un ...

from the

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (), commonly referred to simply as the Gulbenkian Foundation, is a Portuguese institution dedicated to the promotion of the arts, philanthropy, science, and education. One of the wealthiest charitable founda ...

. From this work, ''A Talha em Portugal'' was published in 1963. In 1969 he was awarded the title of Professor ''

Honoris Causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

'' by the

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (, UFRJ) is a public university, public research university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the largest federal university in the country and is one of the Brazilian centers of excellence in teaching and r ...

, on the recommendation of the . In his

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

, he

bequeathed A devise is the act of giving real property by will, traditionally referring to real property. A bequest is the act of giving property by will, usually referring to personal property. Today, the two words are often used interchangeably due to thei ...

his collection of documents and photographs to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The Robert C. Smith Award for researchers in the decorative arts was established in his honour by the ''Decorative Arts Society'' of the United States. Robert Smith passed away in 1975.

Articles

*Robert C. Smith. João Frederico Ludovice an Eighteenth Century Architect in Portugal. ''The Art Bulletin''. Vol. 18, No. 3 (Sep., 1936), pp. 273–370 *Robert C. Smith. The colonial architecture of Minas Gerais in Brazil. ''The Art Bulletin''. Vol. 21, No. 2 (Jun., 1939), pp. 110–159. *Robert C. Smith. Jesuit buildings in Brazil. ''The Art Bulletin''. Vol. 30, No. 3 (Sep., 1948), pp. 187–213. *Robert C. Smith. Arquitetura civil do período colonial. ''Revista do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional'', n. 17, p. 27-125, 1969

References

External links

*
Robert Chester Smith
' in Dictionary of Art Historians {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Robert Chester American art historians 1912 births 1975 deaths Harvard University alumni University of Pennsylvania faculty