2 0 th ▁century ▁– ▁to ▁me ▁the ▁world ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁more ▁beautiful . ▁I ▁am ▁trying ▁to ▁paint ▁the ▁real ▁world ▁I ▁live ▁in , ▁as ▁beautiful ly ▁as ▁I ▁can ▁with ▁my ▁own ▁eyes   ... ▁It ' s ▁obvious ▁a ▁bunch ▁of ▁flowers ▁or ▁a ▁bill ab ong ▁is ▁beautiful , ▁and ▁I ▁love ▁natural ▁beauty , ▁but ▁I ▁am ▁not ▁moved ▁by ▁it .   ... ▁to ▁me ▁composition ▁is ▁everything ". ▁Sm art ▁believed ▁that ▁people ▁should ▁view ▁art ▁with ▁their ▁eyes ▁and ▁not ▁their ▁head . ▁ ▁In flu ences ▁ ▁Sm art ' s ▁paint ings ▁may ▁seem ▁to ▁visit ▁an ▁un touch ed ▁area ▁of ▁art , ▁but ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁influenced ▁by ▁other ▁artists ▁and ▁art ▁forms , ▁especially ▁from ▁classical ▁ancient ▁art ▁through ▁his ▁travel s . ▁An ▁interest ▁in ▁architecture ▁took ▁Sm art ▁to ▁Egypt , ▁Greece , ▁Turkey , ▁Italy ▁and ▁Y emen . ▁This ▁Mediter rane an ▁journey ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁a ▁three - h undred - year - old ▁villa ▁in ▁Are z zo , ▁Italy ▁where ▁he ▁lived ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁long ▁life . ▁It ▁had ▁in ▁fact , ▁always ▁been ▁an ▁early ▁goal ▁for ▁Sm art ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁architect ; ▁he ▁was ▁trained ▁as ▁a ▁draft s man ▁and ▁sometimes ▁considered ▁himself ▁in ▁some ▁ways ▁a ▁fr ustr ated ▁architect . ▁ ▁Pier o ▁della ▁Frances ca , ▁a ▁Renaissance ▁painter ▁and ▁math ematic ian , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁classical