2021 marked the bicentenary of the birth of James Smetham (1821-89), artist, poet, and teacher.
To celebrate this anniversary, the Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History embarked on a project to conserve and digitise Smetham artworks and manuscripts in our collections, and to produce exhibitions and digital resources exploring the themes of art, faith, and mental wellbeing in the context of his work.
Pre-Raphaelite Outsider: James Smetham (1821-89)
This exhibition – an exploration of art, faith, and mental health struggles on the periphery of the notorious nineteenth-century creative movement – opened on Smetham’s 202nd birthday, and ran from 9 September to 29 October 2023 at Bewdley Museum, Worcestershire. During that time it attracted thousands of visitors. It was only the second public exhibition of works from the Smetham Collection, and the most recent since the mid-1990s at the Yale Center for British Art.
Discover more about this exhibition at Art UK. Smartphone users can also find more on our Bloomberg Connects guide. There are also resources about Smetham on The Methodist Church website.
https://the-pre-raphaelite-podcast.podbean.com/e/james-smetham-pre-raphaelite-outsider/
Digital Exhibitions
A chronological account of James Smetham’s early life (1821-1851) through his own words, and those of the people that knew him.
Access here: James Smetham: Timeline, pt. I
Who was James Smetham? An introduction to the life and work of the artist, poet, and teacher.
Access here: The Rose of Dawn: an introduction to James Smetham
Online Talks and Presentations
The Smetham Collection
The Westminster College Oxford Trust is custodian to the largest single collection of James Smetham’s artworks and manuscripts, which are accessible to users for research and study. You can browse the catalogue for the collection, here.
Discover more about the Smetham Collection in this feature for the Archives and Records Association.
Westminster Oxford Research Network 