Lovell-Smith, Rata Alice (1894–1969)

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Lovell-Smith, Rata Alice (1894–1969)

New Zealand artist and teacher. Name variations: Rata Alice Bird. Born on Dec 24, 1894, in Christchurch, New Zealand; died on Sept 28, 1969, in Christchurch; dau. of Alfred Louis Bird (engineer) and Alice Emily (Cox) Bird; m. Colin Stuart Lovell-Smith (artist), 1922 (died 1960); children: 2 sons.

With husband, painted and exhibited landscapes that rejected romantic traditions of scenic grandeur and were praised for their modern, poster-like characteristics; taught at New Zealand School of Art (from 1926); active in Canterbury Society of Arts (1920s–50s); was a leading artist of Canterbury regionalist movement. Won Bledsoe Medal for landscape painting (1939).

See also Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (Vol. 4).