Sir Matthew Smith (1879-1959)/Roses in a Blue Vase, 1927/oil on canvas, 66.75cm x 54.5cm/Provenance: Lt.Col. M V B Hill (purchased from Tooth circa 1928); then by descent/Exhibited: Alex, Reid & Lefevre 1927 (No 4). Arts Council Touring Exhibition of selected works from the Tate Gallery*/Note: Almost certainly painted in London at Smith's Fitzroy St studio. 1927 saw the prolific production of a whole host of flower paintings by Smith with ever increasing complexity of arrangements and compositions. Moving on from simple flower forms like tulips in the earlier works, more complex forms such as Dahlias and Roses were a challenge to the artist's premier coup method of working. Smith enjoyed collecting old vases and jugs for his still lifes finding them in junk shops and second hand shops in London an activity he called 'ferreting'. They played an important role in the flower pieces providing for interesting curvilinear shapes and strong colour. Roses in a Blue Jug is a superb example from the middle of this period when things were going very well for Smith as his work was selling, beginning to be reviewed in the Art press and the prestigious Bond St gallery Arthur Tooth & Sons became his dealer in 1928. Lt.Col. M V B Hill acquired Roses in a Blue Vase and another painting The Red Bodice also painted in 1927, by 1929. He could have seen both works at the Alex, Reid & Lefevre show in 1927. *Selected works from the 1953 Tate Gallery Exhibition 'Matthew Smith' were toured under the auspices of the Arts Council to venues in Bristol, Manchester and Halifax. It is possible that the painting was loaned to one or more of these exhibitions.. Our thanks go to John Gledhill for producing this catalogue note