Sir Matthew Smith

Arthur Tooth & Sons, where acquired by Wilfrid A. Evill July 1947 for £175.0.0, by whom bequeathed to Honor Frost in 1963

London, The Home of Wilfrid A. Evill, Contemporary Art Society, Catalogue of Part of a Collection of Oil Paintings, Water Colours, Drawings and Sculpture Belonging to W. A. Evill, Esq., December 1947 - February 1948, cat. no.44 (as Wooden Figure and Palette);
London, The Tate Gallery, Contemporary Art Society, The Private Collector, 23rd March - 23rd April 1950, cat. no.246 (as The Cherub);
Hampstead, The Home of Wilfrid A. Evill, Contemporary Art Society, Catalogue of the Greater Portion of a Collection of Modern English Paintings, Water Colours, Drawings and Sculpture Belonging to W. A. Evill, March 1955, cat. no.30 (as Still life with Wooden Figure);
London, The Home of Wilfrid A. Evill, Contemporary Art Society, Pictures, Drawings, Water Colours and Sculpture, April - May 1961, (part IV- section 3) cat. no.9 (as Still Life with Wooden Cherub);
Brighton, Brighton Art Gallery, The Wilfrid Evill Memorial Exhibition, June - August 1965, cat. no.179 (as Cupid, from a Wooden Figure).

John Rothenstein, Matthew Smith, Beaverbrook Newspapers, 1962, illustrated;
John Gledhill, Matthew Smith, Lund Humphries, Farnham, 2009, cat. no.620, p.233, illustrated.

Original canvas. The canvas is undulating in the top left corner. There are a few minor areas of paint seperation, to the blue pigments and to the cherub's left cheek. The surface is dirty and may benefit from a light clean. Otherwise the surface is in good original condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no apparent signs of retouching. Held in a painted plaster frame. 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."

'This little angel is usually but erroneously called the 'Gothic' figure. It appears in many still life paintings and drawings especially from the late 1940s onward, often without its gilded wings..., and was likely acquired by Smith circa 1916' (Alice Keene, The Two Mr Smiths: The Life and Work of Sir Matthew Smith 1879-1959, Lund Humphries, London, 1995, pl.12).

We are grateful to John Gledhill for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.