Lot Essay
Thomas Keyse was born in Gloucester but established himself in Bermondsey, London as a still-life painter. He exhibited regularly at the Free Society and the Society of Artists. From around 1770 he was the owner of Bermondsey Spa, where he had a permanent exhibition of his still-life paintings, most notably A Butcher's Shop on the scale of life. The present work relates to an unsigned still life of the same design but lacking the radishes and salt cellar, which must also be by Keyes, but given variously to George Smith of Chichester (1714-1776) and last offered at Christie's, London, 8 June 1995, as lot 38.