Sir Matthew Smith

Arthur Tooth & Sons, London, where acquired by the present owners prior to 1954

London, Arthur Tooth & Sons, Homage to Matthew Smith, February - March 1960, cat. no.16, illustrated in the catalogue. 

Original canvas.There are some minor scuff marks along the edges and some old fine lines of retouching that have slightly discoloured in the sky below the centre of the upper edge, otherwise in good original condition. Under ultraviolet light, there are some flecks of retouching along the upper edge and some further fine lines mentioned above below the centre of the upper edge. There are also some flecks of retouching by the lower left edge. Held in a plaster painted frame with canvas inset. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 5381 if you have any queries regarding this work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Although the Tooth exhibition catalogue of 1960 suggests a date for the present work around 1936, there are a number of elements in the handling that may indicate a slightly earlier date of execution, and indeed the very specific effects achieved in the sky and the foreground are remarkably similar to those paintings that relate to Smith's visit to Arles and Aix-en-Provence in the autumn of 1932, such as Montagne Sainte Victoire, 1932 (Private Collection) and Mountain near Vence (Private Collection, sold in these rooms, 13th December 2007, lot 33).

We are grateful to John Gledhill for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.