George Smith was best known for his landscapes and his brother William for his portraits. However both also painted still lifes, sometimes in pairs, which were equally popular with their patrons, and examples were to be found in the collections of the Duke of Richmond, the Duchess of Newcastle and at Uppark. The present picture of which there are several versions, was illustrated as plate 4 in the exhibition of the Smith Brothers' work at Pallant House, Chichester, from May to August 1986, but with an incorrect description.