Sir Matthew Smith

Arthur Tooth and Sons, London
G.P. Dudley Wallis, Manchester, by 1929
The Storran Gallery, London, by 1939, where acquired by Vivien Leigh, Lady Oliver, London, by 1958
The Lefevre Gallery, London, where acquired by Max Aitken, 1st Lord Beaverbrook (1879-1964) in 1960 and thence to the present ownership

London, The Lefevre Galleries, Painting by Matthew Smith, December 1927, cat. no.14;
London, Arthur Tooth and Sons, Matthew Smith: Retrospective Exhibition, 16th October - 16th November 1929, cat. no.27;
Venice, XVII Esposizions Biennale Internationale d'Arts, 1932, 1932, cat. no.104;
London, The British Council Fine Arts Committee, British Exhibition of Contemporary Painting, 1939-1940, unnumbered, as Still-Life;
London, Arts Council of Great Britain, Three Masters of Modern Painting, 1958, cat. no.10, as Still Life-Peonies and Lilies;
London, Royal Academy of Arts, A Memorial Exhibition of Works by Sir Matthew Smith C.B.E. 1879-1959, 15th October - 7th of December 1960, cat. no.197, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue;
Fredericton, The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, The First 45 Years - British Collection, 10th January - 30th May 2004;
Fredericton, The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Art in Dispute, 1st July 2005 - 5th March 2006;
Fredericton, The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Governor's Choice (Tom McDonald), Still Life in Dispute, Summer 2006.

Beaverbrook Art Gallery Quarterly, September 1986, vol.1, no.35.

Original canvas. There are a few areas of craquelure, notably to the dark green pigments to the centre of the composition and also scattered to the dark brown pigments of the table in the foreground, and some further isolated areas to the blue background. There is some old frame abrasion along the upper half of the left edge with a tiny fleck of resultant paint loss. The surface is slightly dirty. Ultraviolet light reveals pigments which fluoresce that are the hand of the artist. Held in a gilt plaster frame with a canvas inset. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present 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."