Wallace Herndon Smith (1901-1990) is well known for his extensive career as an artist. Prior to his long life of painting, Smith studied architecture at both Princeton University and Washington University in St. Louis. He also spent a year studying in Paris. Upon returning to St. Louis, Smith worked with Louis La Beaume’s architecture firm for five years, developing plans for several St. Louis houses until the late 1920s. Smith eventually made the full time switch from architecture to painting. 

 

Smith was featured in an exhibition along with sculptor Paul Young at the Sheldon Museum titled Studies in Architecture: Works by Wallace Herndon Smith & Paul Young. 

 

Smith was a traditional painter and advocated for a classical style of painting after the Old Masters as opposed to the more popular modernist style. Smith was quoted saying that modernist artwork, "expresses the chaos of our times," and noted: "I'm not sold on the fact that art must necessarily reflect chaos. Just because there's a puddle in the street, do I have to step in it?" Because of his unpopular approach to painting, he often missed out on public regonition or success.

Smith was a tireless painter and painted almost daily. He created over 500 paintings who's subject matter included still lifes, landscapes, cityscapes, boat and water scenes, as well as portraits. One of his earliest works, "St. Louis Scene", was exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1932.