This page identifies Bernard Smith as the Australian art historian born in 1916 and died in 2011, which is relevant because the claim names a person with a similar spelling. It does not contain the target quote, but it supports the identity of Bernard Smith as a plausible art-history figure rather than a sculptor named Bernhard Smith.

The finding aid describes "Papers of Bernard Smith" held by the National Library of Australia, including notebooks, diaries, draft manuscripts and other writings by or about the Australian art historian Bernard Smith and the sculptor/painter Bernhard Smith. The listing notes a typescript titled "The Life and Art of Bernhard Smith" by Marjorie Tipping, but the online description does not provide any quotation resembling "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication."

Bernard Smith was an Australian art historian, art critic and cultural historian who played a central role in the development of Australian art history. This source is useful context for attributing an art-related quotation to Bernard Smith, though it does not itself contain the quoted wording.

This article in the Journal of Art Historiography, "The legacies of Bernard Smith," reviews Bernard Smith’s work and its impact. Within the discussion, it cites Smith’s autobiography "The Boy Adeodatus" and other writings, quoting Smith as "A stranger within their gates; a child among them taking notes" when describing his decision to give up painting, but it does not include any phrase matching "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication."

This page is an obituary-style biography of Bernard William Smith, detailing his life, career, and contributions to Australian art history. It notes that "He was a rigorous historian of Australia's cultural development and an astute critic of art and society" and summarizes his major publications. There is no mention of any statement like "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication" or similar phrasing attributed to Smith.

Professor Bernard Smith had long been hailed as the 'father of Australian art history'. The article is an obituary-style profile and establishes the well-known Bernard Smith in the art-history field, but it does not provide the target quotation.

The article "Bernard Smith's Formalesque and the end of the history of art" discusses Bernard Smith’s theoretical concept of the "Formalesque" and his critique of the term "modern art." It quotes Smith’s arguments that modern art is "the art of the present" and his views on art historical periodization. The piece analyzes Smith’s writings in detail, but none of the cited passages or paraphrased ideas contain or attribute the sentence "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication."

Generations of art students have been encouraged to read his books on the history of Australian art. He has been revered, rejected, loved and loathed by young scholars and artists alike. This confirms Bernard Smith's status as a major art historian, but it does not quote the claim in question.

The Swarthmore College news release "In Honor of Emeritus History Professor Bernard Smith" reports on the death of Bernard Sidney Smith, an emeritus history professor at Swarthmore. It includes reminiscences from colleagues such as "Bernard could be pointed in his criticism but always attentive and often droll," but it does not contain any statement resembling "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication."

As the intellectual leader of the group, Bernard Smith contributed to the 'Antipodean Manifesto', a collective statement published in the exhibition catalogue. This is relevant background on Bernard Smith's role in Australian art discourse, but it does not mention the quote 'Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication'.

This document, titled "Art as Speech", discusses the concept of "art speech" under the First Amendment and offers a definition: "art speech is the autonomous use of the artist's creative process to make and fashion form, color, symbol, image, movement or other communication of meaning that is made manifest in a tangible medium." It also explains that "the purpose of the artist is to depict his/her vision, express his/her personality or convey meaning." The specific phrase "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication" does not appear in the text, but the document addresses similar ideas about art as a form of communication by the artist.

I don’t know if it was Smith or Saltz who said it or in what context, but it’s interesting to consider this quote from the conversation: “Art isn’t about understanding.” The post discusses attributions and echoes of similar art aphorisms, but it is not a primary source for the target quotation.

This article is a review of Bernard Smith's book "The Formalesque: a guide to modern art and its history." It describes the work as "an introductory primer to the art history of the 20th century" and notes that it covers the period roughly 1890 to 1970 and the Formalesque as its dominant style. The review discusses Smith's approach to art history and style but does not quote or paraphrase the sentence "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication."

This biographical page on Bernard Smith (1916–2011) describes him as "the greatest art historian in modern Australia" and notes that he was a Marxist and a member of the Communist Party of Australia from 1940 to 1951. It comments: "Art has its own rules and aesthetics. But it also works as information, and as history." The page discusses Smith's views on art and its social role, but it does not contain the exact quotation "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication."

This PDF, "Bernard Smith's worldview and the cosmopolitan imagination," analyses Smith's historiography and ideas. It cites Smith describing "the central concept of art history" as "period style" and explores his views on Eurocentric hierarchies and cultural imagination. The discussion includes several quotations from Smith, but the phrase "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication" does not appear among the cited passages.

Bob and Roberta Smith RA is a contemporary British artist who sees art as an important element in democratic life. This result is about Bob and Roberta Smith, not Bernard Smith, and it does not contain the target quote; it is only useful as a negative lead because the surname overlap may cause confusion.

A Facebook post by Daniel Smith Art Supplies quotes Elbert Hubbard: "Art is not a thing; it is a way." The post discusses how people see art as part of their everyday lives. The wording "Art is not a thing; it is a way" is similar in theme but different in phrasing from "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication," and the post attributes the quote clearly to Elbert Hubbard, not to Bernhard or Bernard Smith.

This Instagram reel from TIFF includes a caption quoting a speaker: "I think real art has to be something that kind of ... Art is a language. It's a visual language. It's a way to communicate. You're impacted by art all day long." This reflects the general notion of art as communication, but the specific wording "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication" is not present, and Bernard Smith is not referenced.

This YouTube video features "WRITER/GRAPHIC ARTIST BEN BERNARD-SMITH" talking about his graphic art and creative work. The description indicates an interview with "another budding independent creative" discussing his first graphic novel and related projects. The name "Ben Bernard-Smith" appears to be a contemporary artist and writer, distinct from the Australian art historian Bernard Smith (1916–2011). The specific phrase "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication" is not highlighted in the description and would need to be checked within the full video transcript; there is no explicit claim here that Bernard Smith said or wrote that quote.

This page is a general discussion of art and communication, stating that "Art is a language. It's a visual language. It's a way to communicate" and similar ideas about how artists express themselves through their work. It does not contain the exact phrase "Art is for the artist, his speech, his way of communication," nor does it attribute such a quotation to Bernard Smith or any other named individual.

Art is a form of visual communication. The artist speaks to the viewer, and the viewer is obliged to listen. This is a social-media post and is not reliable evidence for the attribution of the target quote to Bernard Smith.

This Instagram post uses a similar theme about art as communication, but it does not mention Bernard Smith or the target wording. It is not useful as authoritative evidence.